Corner View ~ Motion

It has been quite awhile since I last participated in corner view, and I'm happy to be back in the swing of things. Corner view is a Wednesday weekly appointment hosted by Francesca, where bloggers from around the globe share their view on a pre-arranged theme.

When I heard the theme was motion I automatically thought of the ocean and the lull and pull of waves. The soothing sounds of water are one of my favorite zen acoustics. The video below is from a trip to Baker Beach, San Francisco, California. We went to celebrate my daughters 7th birthday by going to the zoo and capping off the day by enjoying our favorite beach in "The City".To bad you couldn't see the magnificent "Golden Gate Bridge" because the fog had already rolled in.

Grow Your Blog

Welcome travelers near and far, I have been waiting for some visitors for quite awhile. So where have I landed you may ask yourself? Well kick off your shoes and rest your bones, Gypsy Spirit Rising is a cozy place to be.

Stay at home mother and housewife are my occupations. Maybe you don't consider this a job but it is a lot of work. I get asked "what do you do all day" and I reply "oh nothing much". Wait, I do a multitude of miscellaneous daily! Thus brought on my urge to blog and put it out there. Gypsy Spirit Rising came from the feeling that surrounded my heart as I made the leap to become a part of the blogging community ( I was scared at first, silly now that I think about it)

So what will you find here if you drop by for a visit? We're a family of six  living off of a shoe string budget ,so creative ways to get by with what we got comes into play. Thriving off of thriftyness is one of my mantras. I like to share recipes that I cook for the whole family and personal ones I enjoy. It's hard being a vegetarian in a house full of carnivores. I've been embarking on a greener eco life style so homemade all natural products and ideas will be sprouting soon. I love to recycle and  re-purpose, crazy up-cycles will abound. And here's where my true Gypsy Spirit comes into play. You will find a touch of magic with herbal lotions and potions and a multitude of other workings under the sun and moon.Thanks for stopping by my little urban homestead. I look forward to traveling the blogosphere to visit you. 

Special thanks to Vicki of 2 Bags Full for creating this awesome event for bloggers to unite.

Tepache anyone?

Even though it's winter and  cold outside, I've been craving this tropical iced drink. Tepache is a traditional Mexican fresca made by fermenting pineapple. The recipe and method is easy to do and the end result is a refreshing drink.

Ingredient List:

1 pineapple, 5-9 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 3/4 cups brown sugar, pitcher of water

Method

1. cut the rind off of the pineapple, set aside
2. chop the pineapple flesh into small cubes 
3. add all rind , half of the pineapple chunks, cinnamon stick, cloves and brown sugar to the pitcher
4. fill the pitcher with fresh water and cover
5. let the Tepache ferment for 48 hrs 
6. strain into a glass filled with ice and enjoy

Upcycled Crayons

I came up with this recycled/upcycled idea for crayons while cleaning up the kids art supplies. Instead of throwing away all those small and broken pieces I converted them into new bright and colorful stars. My 3 year old  received these in his stocking, they are the perfect size for toddler dexterity.

Materials needed : crayons, mold, pot of water, baby jar or any glass jar, bamboo skewer 

1. Gather all your old funky crayons and take of the paper wrappers . Go find your favorite shape molds

   2.  Fill a pot halfway with water and set to a boil. Put your crayons color selection in the jar and set in pot.

      3.  Stir the crayon with the skewer as it melts. Once the crayon is completely melted pour into your mold.(Be careful use tongs or a towel to take the jar out)

4.        Let the crayon cool completely and pop out, hand them over to the kids and watch them enjoy

A Merry Little Christmas

As I sit here looking at the grey morning out my window I'm in flashes and remembrance of the year that is swiftly coming to a close. This year has had it's ups and downs to say the least. This past month has been the total kicker and hardest month of the whole year. I can sit  here and ask the whys of it all but I won't, I simply won't. The New Year is coming at the end of the day and along with it  new opportunities and life experiences .

We did have a Merry Little Christmas. Struggle seems to pull my little tribe closer together like a tight knit blanket, and really that's all I want is for my family to be together and emanate love. So would you like to see how our holidays went?

Welcome to our  Christmas homestead.

I love the log bundle I made on the front porch, gives it a rustic feel ( even though we don't have a fireplace) 

We had to decorate ourselves as well. Here's my Holly-Jolly nails.

My youngest daughter wanted reindeer, my first time doing nail art on such a small surface.

My munchkin making healthy oatmeal cookies.

Santa didn't stay full very long, the kids snuck cookies left and right.

Art session and homemade wrapping paper all in one.

My son's hanging ornaments on the tree.

And the stockings were hung....

The girls making gingerbread cookies on Christmas Eve.

Gingerbread men and candy canes, they were thoroughly enjoy without frosting.

Christmas Eve tradition of drinking hot chocolate and watching "Polar Express".

Time to put out the cookies!

There were gifts for the children under the tree on Christmas morning.

Yay she found the Christmas pickle! New set of chalk was the prize.

From my family to yours hope you had a very Merry Christmas & A Blessed New Year.

*P.S  I'm looking out the window again, the sun  is out and the future looks bright.

Seeing is Believing

Polar Express is one of my favorite Christmas movies. There is a scene where the boy is on top of the train with the spirit of Christmas disguised as a hobo with a Santa hat, and he tells him "seeing is believing". Faith on the the other hand is belief in the unseen, and that faith is as tiny as a mustard seed . I decided to not dredge along these days even though the lay off has sent us in a spin of uncertainty. I reached out to my friends and family on facebook to keep us in their prayers and to let me know if they knew of any job opportunities in my husbands line of work. It didn't take long before my cell phone was buzzing with messages of encouragement, kind words and possible jobs for my husband to look into. The very next day my husband went to apply for a job with his Uncle and he was hired and worked the same day.

I'm so grateful and feel blessed that the collective of faith and love yielded a quick turn around from nothing to something new. We are still having our pioneer Christmas and learning to live different than what we were accustomed to, but life is about the journey and not the destination. I wish everyone a blessed holiday season and may your Christmas wishes come true.

Do you believe in the magic & miracles of Christmas? I sure do! I believed and now I see.

Pioneer Christmas

Receiving an envelope can be  exciting especially around Christmas time. An envelope from your employer at the beginning of December makes you think that maybe all your hard work is paying off and is noticed by the company or........ it can be a lay off notice! Happy Merry F*%^#$ Christmas to us.

We live a simple resourceful life on a paycheck to paycheck basis always. So how is it going to be living on no income and no resources to pay the bills and other life expenses. This has brought me to name this post a Pioneer Christmas because that's exactly how it is going down. Our family is strong and we will somehow survive this, but starting off a new year without money is going to be pretty tough to say the least. I will be blogging this journey about the ways we are pioneering through.

If you believe in the power of prayer and that Christmas Miracles do occur please remember us.

Stale chips are for the birds

Ever run into the situation when you go to grab some chips and found they have gone stale? Or maybe the little chips at the bottom of the bag are to small to enjoy? Don't throw them out make them into a meal for your feathered friends.

I throw the chips in a zip lock bag and smash them into tiny pieces. This also fun for children to do.

The meal is then stored in a recycled glass jar and put into the bird feeders as needed. Yard birds really do enjoy this stuff as much as the wild bird seed.

Back from a Halloween induced Hiatus

Seems like I have fallen off the planet, well at least when it comes to bloglandia. A Halloween hiatus has taken over the last of October and into the first weeks of November. We had our fair share of birthdays, anniversary's, party's , dental appointments, school events, the list goes on and on. Besides all the outer curricular activities the home and children keep me busy and away from the computer.

 Dressed up for a Halloween Party

My Munchkin turned 3.

 I feel that November is a time to cozy down and enjoy the comforts of home. My home as of late is not to comfy, more of the clutter and chaotic scene. This has brought me to the realization that something must be done. I'm embarking on a new adventure of minimalism that will probably keep me busy and not so much blogging, but I'll try to squeeze in what I'm doing and how things are going in the process. I hope everyone is enjoying the new month of Thanks before that other holiday takes over every one's mind. Blessing to new endeavours.

Broomsticks On The Bayou

 Well hello there. I see you have managed to get you hands on the invite that has been blowing around the Bayou and beyond. I'm Madame Ortiz your tour guide to some wicked New Orleans Fare. Grab your broomsticks and lets take a ride.

Those splendid souls Marfi & Anna are always throwing the most extravagant parties and extending invites to all. Keep your invite tight you will need it to visit New Orleans.

 We have arrived at our first destination. There are many shops here in the French Quarter ,this Voodoo shop belongs to my twin Gypsy Rose.

Ah it's nice to see new faces. Come on in and take a look around , may you find what your true heart need and desires.

Voodoo and spiritualism go hand in hand. May you wish to summon angels and saints to assist?Or maybe protect thyself with a cross talisman. Your welcome to light a candle and ask Zadkiel to calm the brewing storm within your heart and mind. Maybe a card  pull for a question you've be pondering?

Here's a sample of herbs and spices for a delicious meal or maybe to conjure up something more in the way of a spell. I have plenty more jars in the back if there is something specific you have in mind.

Ah yes down to the gris-gris. Feel free to choose what it is you need for what you wish to seek. Not quite sure what goes in?

Perhaps a pre-made Mojo is what is in order. You must whisper to me what it is for so I can send you with the right one before you leave out the door.

As for the Voodoo dolls they always fly right off the shelf, here's a kit so you can make it yourself. Lavender is good to work with so those workings can be purified and blessed.

Everyone around here has those plastic beads and let's not mention how they are aquiered why not adorn yourself with beautiful handmade necklaces which are truly charming.

Wish to purify before a ritual. These sage bundles are a magical herbal blend. The feather fan is perfect for spreading the cleansing smoke as your prepare your ritual space.

New tarot cards in order? It is a full hunters moon after all perfect time for divination and connecting to your spirit as well as others.

Speaking of spirits don't forget to take these Blessed Lucky 7 dimes to your next destination 1400 Washington Ave, New Orleans L.A. Lafayette Cemetery No.1.

It's time to pay respect and homage to our Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Place your three x's and make your wish. Don't forget to leave your coins as a gift in exchange for your wish granted. Do you hear that drumming and humming? Don't look now but here slithers a snake with a smile in it's eyes. Here is were I must leave you wicked darlings I have many a party's to attend.

These boots are made for flying

 Thanks for flying over for a visit on this lovely Full Hunters Moon . The challenge is to alter a  shoe but I'm extremely partial to boots! These are  my boots that are worn regularly so they were altered in a way to be able to have them back to there original witchy state.

~ GYPSY SPIRIT ~

~ SEXY & HEXY ~

 I hope you enjoyed my wicked wear. I'm off to stir up some magik in the city tonight with my husband to celebrate our 11 year Wedding Anniversary. Crazy it falls on the full moon centered around relationships. I'll try not to party to hard or stay out to late, I have a feeling I may have more patrons than usual stopping by  my Voodoo Shop tomorrow. Won't you come and take a peek?

Special thanks to the hostess with the mostest Celia of Adventures of the Striped Stockings for creating the Altered Witch Shoe challenge.

Stop on by her blog and check out other awesome creative souls and their creations. Have a blessed Friday and a fun filled weekend.