RavenWood Apothecary No. 3 - Bell Jars & Boney Maroney

(You can click on the images
to view them larger in the slide show thingy.)

Okay...Today I'm posting pictures of the other areas of RavenWood Apothecary. In my home, the front door and entryway should open up with a view of a formal living room. But we are not a formal kind of family, so we decided that would be wasted space, so we turned our living room into a formal dining room. Then, I turned what was supposed to have been our dining room, into my studio/weight room/photography wardrobe/dog's room instead. But during Hallowe'en time, my dining room is magically transformed into RavenWood Apothecary! You can see it from the front door, and it's the first thing you see when you walk in the house! In that space is an entryway, and a dining room table, china cabinet, sideboard and piano. All of these images are of separate vignettes through out the space....but they all go together to form RavenWood Apothecary! There is a nice little path that you can take around the dining room table, that runs by the different furnishings/vignettes. That path allows witches and mortals alike to get a good look at all the magical goods. I've often considered having my Mom pass out the Hallowe'en candy inside this room, so that the Trick or Treaters could come inside and see everything.
But then my paranoia creeps in and I start cringing at the thought of hoards of strangers trekking through my house, and I decide it's best reserved for my close friends, family and party guests instead.
I should mention two things: 1.) If I didn't do what I do for a living, I'd really like to be a Set Designer for movies or a Stager for model homes (go figure), and 2.) After having viewed "Practical Magic" many times, I set about collecting Bell Jars, Apothecary/Candy Jars and Cloches for several years...and I have since amassed a fairly large collection.I never pay full price for them because often times they put them on sale at Michael's and Home Goods. In fact, you will see my prized one in the photos below. The Hubster scored this one for me last year when we were down in Naples during Sept. We decided to stop by a local Home Goods down there, and as always, I went straight to the Hallowe'en section and he went straight to the discount aisle. He screams for me through the store, and I find him there in the sale aisle with a HUGE Bell Jar in his cart to match the huge grin on his face! Of course I was like..."WOW! How much is that jewel?" And he proudly announces that it's a whopping $10.00! I couldn't believe it. That was the largest Bell Jar that I've ever seen, it was not broken or chipped, and it only cost $10.00! What a bargain!I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head about what monstrously big item/s I would be able to display in there. But when setting up the apothecary last year, I discovered that I had a very cool skeleton that was about 2 1/2 feet tall, and if I bent him up like he is sitting with his knees up, and placed his hands like he has them pressed against the glass and is trying to get out....then he will actually just fit in there perfectly. And man does he look awesome. So he really is the focal point of the table display. Of course everything in my Apothecary has a tag or label on it for identification....so his says, "Bambuti Pygmy Skeleton from the Congo Rainforest"....because truly, that's how big he his! (And in case you may be wondering...that black kitty in the photo below is not a prop...she is real. She's my evil black kitty and her name is Coventina. She does NO one's evil bidding but her own! And Beware! If you stare into her eyes....she will put an evil curse on you, so don't do it! If you try it in person...she will bite you first, then put the curse on you! You've been warned.) Another new addition last year was our acquisition of Boney Maroney! We took Boney M. home from the Spirit Halloween store sometime after the high holiday was over. They had discounted him a lot, and of course the hubby's 'troll senses' led him right to him...Ha! He is actually a really nice skeleton, quite heavy, good bendable joints...and he will stay in various human like positions.
So I thought it would be fun to have ole' Boney Maroney tickling the ivories on the piano. I plan to get put a hidden tape in there of "The Skeleton in the Closet"! Now if only I had one of those player pianos so he looked like he was really playing.... In fact, I've grown so fond of Boney Maroney, that I've been thinking of carrying him around with me this year in the car, and shooting pics of him in the different places we go....sort of like that Travelocity Gnome. It will give something me to post for next year's Hallowe'en Countdown!

This year's acquisition was this very cool metal library card/apothecary cabinet below that I found at Hobby Lobby. I got it when they put it on sale a couple months ago. I've put a few vintage poison jars and antique cans in some of the pockets, but I did not get around yet to creating labels for the outside to identify all the witchy herbs within....who knows, maybe I'll still eek it out before the party. If not, it goes on the long list of things to do before next Hallowe'en!
I also found this standing bird cage below. I'm really into the Victorian/Gothic look of Bird Cages for Hallowe'en....so I put ravens and owls in mine. I sort of have a small collection of these too, but I put them in different places around the house. But the standing one is set up in the Apothecary room where 'Sir Owliver' stands guard in the shoppe. I slapped an old clock on the side of it and draped it with dreary flowers. And above that, on top of the china cabinet, sits my other favorite thing to use at Hallowe'en, and that would be Clocks! The bigger the better! Okay...that's it for today's tour. I have a few more things to share, hope I'm not boring you all, but I figure Halloween Haunt photos are best shared around Hallowe'en, and I ran out of time to share any last year! Sorry! :o)
All Images © 2010-2011 Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

Pre Halloween Havoc

Well....I'm back....momentarily anyway! And I can officially report signs of Halloween in my corner of the globe. I do apologize for the long stints between posts, but you'll remember that life was officially giving me a little 'butt-whoopin' when last I posted! And unfortunately that coincided with my 'chitlins' return to school this week, and the collapse of my old computer. That collapse FORCED me to start using my big bad new computer that I had custom built for me months ago to aide me in my work. I should have been using it from the start, but old habits die hard, and with the new computer would come a HUGE transfer job of files,programs and email addresses, a new operating system, hardware updates and an updated Photoshop version that was a whopping 3 levels newer than my version. (Proof that I am a creature of habit and really resist changing things that appear to work, even though they may very well make my life exponentially better.) So while 'Ole' Nelly' was in the shop getting a new motherboard put in her, I was being forced to get acquainted with Hercules. Yes, this bad boy computer is named Hercules because he is one powerful machine. So I have been up for days and nights on end trying to learn all sorts of new things in order to transition myself to a better life via a much better computer. This has not been easy or fun mind you. Hercules is a very complex kind of guy, and therefore he requires a lot of work getting to know him. But we are slowly warming up to one another. It really is a lot of work to get things running on a 64 bit system when you are not really a computer guru....but once things finally started falling into place, I realized how extremely fast and efficient Hercules is compared to 'Ole' Nelly....bless her heart!As for her....well she has been doctored up once more and has come home to live out the rest of her days. I promptly began getting all my important documents off of her and moving them over. And once I've finished saving everything that I should have saved months ago, (BEFORE she died and I had to pay for a new motherboard just to get my stuff off of her) I will keep her shut off and only turn her on again for nostalgic reasons. But needless to say....the timing of going through this GARGANTUAN computer overhaul was suckish to say the least because of the kids starting a new school at the same time. Lots of the files from the school were stuck on the old computer and things have kind of been in chaos. Plus we've had meetings and VB games at this school every day/night now for the last two weeks. Hopefully, we are starting to settle things down some because I have lots of work I need to catch up on, and Halloween is coming around fast.
Speaking of....I found the much anticipated BH&G Halloween magazine on the news stand last night....I was SO excited! And I know that many of you have been reporting on the stores in your areas who have begun putting out their Halloween merchandise. I have 4 HomeGoods stores in my area that I travel around to, and they are all stocked with the Halloween goodies. Although my personal opinion is that I am not quite as impressed with their selection this year so far. I've found very few things that I couldn't live without. But as the years go by, I've also found that I am becoming a very picky Halloween snob shopper! Michael's has their stuff out, as well as Pier 1, Old Time Pottery and Hobby Lobby! Owls seem to be big this season, just as the Halloween Trend Reports I blogged on stated they would be. That suits me just fine, as I adore Owls. But again.....I am a very picky Owl shopper as well. I've posted some items from Hobby Lobby for you to see. If you are into Owls...then that's a good place to go! And lastly, our Halloween stores are slowly stocking their shelves to open in September. So it looks like Halloween is on it's way.....Hooray!

My Autumn Birthday Wish...

Well....I hope everyone had a nice weekend! And I do apologize for not getting around to all of the blogs, but I had a busy weekend. And as luck would have it....today is my Birthday! Woo Hoo! So that means I get to use a 'get out of blogging' free pass. I plan on going out to do a little shopping today. I'm going to make my rounds, and see if I can find any signs of Halloween beginning to emerge in my favorite stores. So instead of a regular blog post, I'm just going to post a photo of the present I wanted for my birthday instead. I say 'wanted'.....because I've already been informed that I will NOT be getting it under any circumstances. But I don't know why not! I promised I'd take good care of him....yet the grumpy ole' troll hubby still says NO! Boo Hiss on him right?! But don't shed any tears for me just yet....because the hubby did grant my second, (and only other birthday wish)...which was Tickets to New England in October! Hooray! I get to go commune with my old friend 'Fall' once more! Having missed out last year, I am really jonesing to go back. So I guess I will forgive the Hubster for denying me the CUTEST lil' Pet Owl in an Autumn Hat that ever flew on the face of the earth. Who knows, maybe if I'm lucky...I can catch one in the wilds of Vermont, buy him a little orange hat to wear, and bring him back to Florida with me. You never know! And if that fails to transpire...well at least I get to go back to New England and photograph scenes like the one below! (I took this in Lebanon New Hampshire, in 2009, and the color was outstanding!) So I'll be spending the next 2 months dreaming dreams of Fall! Care to join me?! :o)Owl © clusterflock.org
Autumn © 2009 Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

Autumn on my iPhone

So I have something kind of cool to share. This year I became a new smart phone owner when Verizon finally received the iPhone. I was even able to get the 'unlimited data' plan, which ironically has already been revoked in less than 6 months. But I was 'grandfathered' in, so I get to keep mine for now....woo hoo! I have yet to learn how to operate the blasted thing correctly however. And I'm quite certain that the phone is possessed by demons who place random calls to people in my contact list without me ever touching it. The phone truly has a mind of its own.....but none the less I do enjoy it....WHEN I have it. The kids have it confiscated most of the time, playing Restaurant World and checking their heart rates.

And that brings me to my cool news, which wasn't the phone itself, but rather the protective case that surrounds it. I originally had a Purple case from the Apple store. I really didn't like the choices there, so I just went with my favorite color. But you know me (well you probably don't), but I don't really dig things being plain and generic. So I went on-line looking to see if there were some other designs that were just out of stock at the Apple store. And I found an incredible website that allows you to design your own custom iPhone/iPod case, using your own artwork. Spooktacular! That was right up my creative lil' alley, and the cost was the same as my boring purple case with the exception of the shipping charge. So I promptly got to work trying to adapt one of my favorite art pieces "Autumn Equinox" to fit an iPhone case. Below is the original image that I used.
That little adaptation was way more difficult than it seemed it should be, because the company's software for resizing and such was not very efficient. So it took me several hours of tweaking and re-tweaking in PS, and on their site, to finally get it just right, so that everything was showing just as I wanted it. Adapting a horizontal 8x10 to a vertical 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 was a 'you know what'! But in the end, my determination prevailed and I came away with the most fantabulous phone case EVER! I feel akin to Dr. Frankenstein with my beloved new creation! It turned out great, and to know that it is a one of a kind original of my own art, just makes me smile every time I look at it. Not to mention that I made sure it was representative of what I love most....which is Autumn, Owls and the Moon.

Additionally, you can sign up to be a contributing artist at the site, and if your work is selected, you make a whopping $2.oo for every $40.00 case that gets sold with your art on it. Wow, really?! A whole $2.00? Where would I spend all that extra dough? Don't think I'll take them up on that...probably not worth all the work. Though I would consider making custom cases for other people by taking my price that I paid, and putting a mark-up on it. But for now, I'm just stoked about my new Autumn Phone! I'm thinking about making one with my "Autumn Rain Scarecrow" or some of my Halloween Shadow Art to put on during October. If I make any more, I'll be sure to share them. Happy Hump Day! :o)

The Witch, The Cat and The Owl

There is nothing I enjoy more than stumbling upon wonderfully Magical and Creative things by sheer accident and/or dumb stroke of luck. So tonight I went on YouTube in search of something and there I found a sampling of "recommended" videos that I can only presume came courtesy of the YouTube marketing department. How creepy nice of them to invade my privacy monitor my viewing habits so that they could recommend further viewing material for my enjoyment. But lo and behold, the first video I see has a cartoon Witch on it, so of course I had to take a look. And I'm so happy I did too. For what I found is a cartoon that I can honestly say I've never even heard of before tonight. Now I'm sure there will be those of you who've known about this for ages, especially my friends in Europe....but this is the first time I've seen it, and I wanted to share, just in case anyone else has been in the dark since the 70's.

Meg and Mog is the story of a Witch (Meg), her black striped Cat (Mog), and their friend Owl. With 3 of my favorite things represented (Witches, Cats and Owls)...I knew I'd just have to love it. Apparently, Meg and Mog was a children's book series written by Helen Nicoll, that was first published in the 70's. It was later made into an animated pre-school series, which aired in the UK in 2003. It's a cute little cartoon, but what I enjoy most, is the very basic animation style of Jan Pienkowski. Meg is a well-intentioned Witch dealing with the not-so-good results of her spells. Mog is her talking striped cat, and the 3rd character is a talking Owl. The actual story is somewhat weak, but considering the intended audience was pre-schoolers, I guess I can't complain. The Meg and Mog books appear to be available on Amazon, and the Halloweeny art really gets me in the mood for the upcoming season. I am posting Episode 1 for your viewing pleasure, and a link for Episode 2. Happy Hump Day! :o)

Episode 1


Episode 2 - Meg and Mog Espisode 2

All Hallow's Eve is Finally Here!!!

At Midnight 'neath the Witches tree,
who dares keep Hallowe'en with me?

Well, the wheel of the year turns tonight! And we are all set and ready for the return of The Great Pumpkin! I've made my list and checked it thrice!

House is decorated....check!
Yard is decorated....check!
Golf Cart is decorated....check!
Candles are lit....check!
Hot Soup is bubbling on the stove....check!
Beer is ice cold....check!
Homemade Cakes and Cookies are baked and ready to eat....check!
Costumes are selected....check!
Scary movies are playing on the big screen....check!
Jack O'Lanterns are glowing bright....check!
Weather is cool and absolutely perfect....check!
Fire is blazing in the fire pit....check!
Marshmallows are ready for roasting....check!
Candy bowls are filled to the brim....check!
Friends and Family are on their way....check!
Trick or Treaters are knocking at the door....check!

ALL HALLOW'S EVE IS FINALLY HERE....CHECK!

HAPPY
HALLOWE'EN / SAMHAIN
EVERYONE!

Serendipity of the Autumn Equinox

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
the gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all,
Flowers in the summer
Fires in the fall!

~ Robert Louis Stevenson, Autumn Fires

Ooh....there is magic in the air today! Do you feel it? I woke up this morning, checked my email and I just felt that things were falling into place in just the right way for such a special day. First up was the 'Photo of the Day' that I get in my inbox from a photography website. And today's image was this incredible shot of an Owl Family by Kathy Cline which is posted below. I've never seen that many owls in one place...this shot is fantastic! And knowing as you may, how much I adore owls, I thought this was a perfect sign that today was going to be an extra special day. Then I receive a notice from a Blog called 'Etsy Stalker'. I've not heard of this blog before, but apparently they are 'stalking' me today. Well not literally of course...but they are 'stalking' or including my artwork "Autumn Equinox" in their post today on the Autumn Equinox. My piece is the 6th item in their list. How great is that? Thank you oh stalkers of the Etsy world. You picked one of my favorite pieces to showcase on one of my favorite days of the year. So on this most special of days, serendipity rules. I just love serendipity, don't you?

Oh....and the image above that accompanies the poem Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson, is an image I shot in New Hampshire. While driving through the countryside, we came across this small river rambling through the beautiful fall foliage and when I saw the bridge just down the way, I knew I had to photograph it. If I were there right now, I'd pack up an Autumn feast and spend my day sitting right there on that bank. That's one reason New England itself is so magical...because you can find these incredible vistas around every corner. My heart is wedded to that area....I think I must have lived there in a past life.
So yes, today marks the much anticipated Autumn Equinox. The day I wait for all year long because it marks the return of the season that is most deeply rooted in my soul. This seasonal day of celebration reminds us all of the importance of 'balance'....balance in our lives, in nature, in our world! To everything there is a season....a time to reap, a time to sow, a time to live, a time to die. That's also my favorite Bible verse, the one that makes the most sense out of life, in my opinion. And for me, this is the theme of the Autumn Equinox....a balance of light and dark. Life is a continual balancing act between light and dark, but everything flows better in life when it's kept in balance.It's also a time to take stock and be grateful for all the blessings we have, all the people whom we love and love us, and for the beauty and bounty that nature provides for us. At no other time during the year, is the beauty of nature more on display than during the Autumn season. (I took the image above across a field behind my house. This Autumn hued sunset was breathtaking and it reminded me of a gorgeous Indian Summer.) So take time today to get outside and soak in what it means to be alive. Embrace Summer's departure and Autumn's arrival. Go for a hike, have a picnic outdoors, or hang lanterns outside under the stars tonight in honor of the Moon Festival. Whatever you do to mark the day on your calendar...be sure to languish in the glory of the Autumn Equinox.

Autumn images copyright Wendy A.
Owl image copyright Kathy C.
(All Rights Reserved)

World Market Halloween

For those of you who live in close proximity to a World Market store....Halloween has arrived! Just received this internet ad in my inbox today and thought I'd share. They've had their stuff out for a week or so now, and they have some really cute things. They have a lot of Owl things out this year and some cute vintage look Halloween items as well. I bought the Owl in a Crescent Moon wall art that I posted above, but it's cuter in person than in the photo. And I would have gotten the Owl on the Jack below but I already have a Bethany Lowe version.
I'm kind of diggin' on the Skeleton Wind Chimes below to hang out in the garden somewhere too, but I didn't see them at the store last weekend. I did snag some cute witchy towels though. Well, I'm assuming they're dish towels maybe, or perhaps oversized cloth napkins....although they are really larger than either of those things. But because they are so large, I plan on sewing a small seam along the top and inserting dowel rods, to use them as wall hangings. One says "Come One, Come All to the Witch's Ball" and the other has a black cat and says "Black Cats Welcome"! They're black, white and gray and are a steal at only $3.99 each. Also be sure to check out World Market's great selection of Halloween themed Wine, Beer and Sodas. The wine in the black cat shaped bottle is very wicked cool indeed, because it serves the dual purpose of libation and decoration. You can't beat that! My friend Belle Dee got one last year and I may have to break down and get one this year too. Although they have one called 'Witches Brew' that I like a lot too....decisions, decisions. For those of you who do not have a World Market store in your neck of the Haunted Woods....you can check out all the Hallow loot in the 'Halloween Headquarters' on their website! And one last bit of cheery Halloween news below this photo....
Jeanne, the terrifically talented owner of the 'Candy Corn Chronicles' blog is having a most 'pumpkin perfect' blog give away. And she is giving away not just 1....but 3, yes 3 of her original works of art. And any of them would be a prize to have. So if you haven't entered, run over there now and throw your name into the cauldron for your chance to score some primo Halloween swag! :o)

Creepy Zoo Critters

Hello to everyone...I've missed this place. You might be wondering how that could be right? It's because I've actually been on vacation since last weekend...lucky me! We got an offer to stay at a relative's condo on the beach down in Naples, FL, so we packed up and flew right down on our broomsticks drove down. It was of course HOT...go figure, but we were able to just chill out on the beach which was private for the homeowners there, so it was all good.
I did manage to make one post on the hubby's laptop while I was there, but I haven't been able to catch up on blogs. I hope to do that this weekend while putting up my Halloween decorations. Of course like the vigilante I am....I scoured every corner of Naples for any signs of Halloween and you better believe I found some. However, it is the off season down there for the snowbirds up North, so I don't think Halloween is really that big a deal in Naples.
I managed to hit up a new Home Goods store which yielded lots of treasure. My husband found me a gigantic Cloche Bell Jar in the clearance section marked down to $10. And that sucker is HUGE! I will be able to house and display all sorts of crazy creepy things under that. I have a small skeleton that will fit perfectly. We also had to stop at a Target on the way home in some city that I've never been to before, and they actually had their Halloween stuff out! Not all of it, but the card section was full and the Halloween section was well on it's way. At first glance, I was not uber impressed, but I'm still optimistic that the best stuff wasn't out yet. I did get a small cross grave yard marker because it had an owl on the front which was different from the usual designs. And I picked up a few Halloween greeting cards because I collect them for the artwork. Today we are heading out to continue the big hunt here at home.World Market stuff is now out also and it looks like they have some vintage looking things. Target is getting their stuff out as we speak, the Halloween Super Stores are finally opening, and JoAnne's, Pier 1, and Homegoods are filled to the brim of their witches hats with Ghoulish Goodies. First stop for me though, will be at Starbucks for my Pumpkin Spice Mocha Frappucino! Planning to have a perfect day.Oh...forgot to mention that while we were in South Florida, we went to The Naples Zoo, which was a lovely, shaded zoo with lots of great animals. And of course I tried my very best to find the spookiest critters and long legged beasties I could find there to share with you all. (I saved the most terrifying creatures for last....these are the hideous hamsters I found hiding in the gift store! ;o)That is my self appointed mission in life by the way....to always try and find the Halloween in every place and every situation possible! It makes life so much more festive and fun! Have a great weekend!

Owl-o-Ween Desserts

Anyone who has known me at least 10 years, knows that Owls are my thing. I don't own a real Owl, but I do own a real Cat, so you'd think Cats would be my thing. But for me, I have a special connection to Owls. They started surfacing in my life during a long series of life changing events over the last 10 years. They are significant to me, and when I began collecting Owl Necklaces....not one person I knew cared anything about owls. And they weren't readily available at stores either. I had to hunt for them at antique shows and on the Internet. But every time I wore an Owl necklace out, complete strangers would stop me and compliment my necklace.

It is the thrill of this hunt for a little known, offbeat and unsung trend that I find exciting. But once everyone else jumps on my bandwagon, I tend to get bored and start a new search for that next undiscovered diamond in the rough. A trend, color, jewelry, style or icon....that at first people may find a bit strange, and out of the norm....but after seeing it a few times, they come to adopt it as their own.

But I won't give up on my owls just yet, because they had a very significant meaning for me and brought me some comfort during particularly challenging situations. So I will continue to share them here in my blog from time to time because owls are very relevant to Halloween. And I'm seeing them in more and more Halloween decor as people try to cash in on the Owl Fad before it becomes too passe and oh so 'yesterday'.

So today's Owl post is merely me sharing these most fabulous and oh so tasty looking Owl Desserts. Such clever and creative Owl creations with Cookies and Cupcakes! Aren't they a 'Hoot'?! I just HAVE to make some of these for this year's Halloween party! Problem is...I can't decide which one I like best! :o)