Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought that you might like to see the real WILD turkeys that inspired our holiday here in America. These beautiful birds come to my yard every day. they are funny, huge, and when the sun hits their feathers, they are the most gorgeous colors!
Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you enjoy your day!

Worldwide Happiness

We hung some new prayer flags up this year on Samhain. I love to look out the kitchen window and see them sending prayers to the winds every day! A gentle reminder of the gifts in my life.

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air -- explode softly -- and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth -- boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either -- not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination."

-- Robert Fulghum

Democracy is Alive and Well

I couldn't help but to wake up optimistic this morning, after last night's election results here in the U.S. I'm proud of my country today, even as we face monumental challenges, both personally and as a nation.

From Obama's acceptance speech last night,

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

“It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

“It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

“We are, and always will be, the United States of America."

Thank you!

I want to say "Thank you!" to all my EAST team members, and my wonderful customers at Summer Sea Herbs! The past few weeks since I announced my store closing and sale have gone by very quickly. You all have practically cleaned me out of my stock of incense, tea, and flower essences! I really appreciate it. I deleted all the listings, and basically closed the store last night.

I'll still be around Etsy, as my Avalon Adornments shop is still open, and will continue to be. I'm hoping to have some time, this Winter season, to flex my crafty creative muscles. You may see some of those more successful ventures available in this shop.

It's been a great ride for over two years!

EVERYTHING IS ON SALE AT CLEARANCE PRICES!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to be taking a much needed rest from the herb business starting November 1st, probably until Spring '09. I'll still be on Etsy though, and my Avalon Adornments shop there will remain open. I've so enjoyed selling on Etsy!
I will miss my friends and customers. I'll still be part of the EarthPath Artisans team.

So, for now I'm putting the whole Summer Sea Herbs shop on sale! Most prices have been reduced by at least 50%! Items are priced as marked. No further discounts will be offered. There are limited supplies available for all items, and when they're gone, that's it!
I'll put updates here and in my shop as the time for closing gets nearer.

Dear Gov. Palin....

I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.
I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.
I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.
I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.
I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.
I AM NOT JOE SIX-PACK. I AM NOT A HOCKEY MOM.

...AND I VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spirited Autumn Event starts on the Equinox!

The EAST team presents The Spirited Autumn Event, which will begin on September 22nd, 2008 (the Fall Equinox), and run thru October 6, 2008. Search Etsy with the tag, TSAE, and you will find promotions throughout the participating member shops!

All my incense blends are 20% off for the event! To get your discount, make sure to put "TSAE" in the notes to seller section when you make your purchase. I'll send you a revised invoice! These tins make great gifts for Samhain and Yule, too!
You can find all my incense blends and other goodies at my Etsy shop, Summer Sea Herbs.

I'm Having A Sale!!!!

I'm having a sale in both of my Etsy shops!

Take 10% off everything in AvalonAdornments,


and 20% off everything in SummerSea! Just wait for an adjusted invoice, before you pay.


Thanks for looking!
~tracyw

Hancock Shaker Village Day Trip

Last weekend, I visited Hancock Shaker Village, in the Berkshire Mountains. It's a museum , but was an actual Shaker Village Homestead until the 1950's when it was sold to a group of trustees for preservation. The most stunning feature of the campus is the round stone barn! It's amazing, inside and out!

I also enjoyed the huge medicinal herb garden and the cut flower garden. The Shakers were very well-known for their herbal knowledge.
I also found out that the Shakers really embraced new technologies. At the village, they kept several cars, and always traded them in every two years or so. This way, they had the latest automotive innovations. They also built a water turbine for their laundry system.

It was a really nice day, spent exploring the village, and learning about this amazing local culture. If you ever get to New England, it's worth a trip!

W is for Witch! ~ new item in my shop

Most of you know me more from my herb shop, but I do have a more creative side that likes to play with glitter, and silks and paint and glue.
I thought you might like to see my newest creation in my Avalon Adornments shop. It's a mixed media assemblage. You can see more about it here.

New Celestial Magnets in my shop!

This is not your average magnet set! This would make a great gift! In misty tones of teal, purple, and pinky-red, the celestial symbols of the Sun, Moon, and a Star shine. These jumbo 1.25" glass gems and the metal tin have been hand-colored using alcohol inks, then rubber stamped. The designs for the magnets were rubber stamped on paper and adhered using sparkle glue. the back of the magnet is sealed iwth sparkle adhesive so even that is pretty when turned over. I then sealed everything with several coats of sealer.

The tin is all wrapped up in coordinating fibers, ready for gift giving! This would make the perfect gift for your hostess, a housewarming or birthday!

I left the interior of the tin uncoated so it can be used for any manner of things after you take out the magnets.

The magnets are super strong neodymium, and will hold 6-7 pieces of paper.
You can find this set for sale at my Etsy shop, Avalon Adornments.

Winners of EAST's Gypsy Design Challenge!

The Gypsy Design challenge voting has ended and we have winners!
Thank you to everyone who voted!

Figgy, of FromtheFigTree won with her beautiful Gypsy skirt

Congratulations!!!



Liz, of LizStaley, came in second place with her adorable Anime plushie


And Dismissie came in third with her Gypsy wagon


Everyone who participated was so creative, I'm just blown away! Thank you so much!

Tonka Beans for Magick and Money Draw

I now have Tonka Beans for sale in my shop!
Also known as Coumaria Nut and Lucky Bean, Tonka has a long history of use in both the perfume industry, and for it's associations with Luck, Money, and Love.
Tonka beans have a vanilla-like scent when tinctured, and are sometimes used as an ingredient in fragrances.

To use for magickal purposes, they are carried in your pocket, placed in a sachet, or used in spells for to draw money to you. If I'm doing a prosperity spell designed specifically for money, and not just general abundance, I'll always have a few tonka beans on my altar.
It is not recommended to burn tonka beans, which is why I don't include them in my incense formulas.

Sale at Summer Sea Herbs!

**************I'm having a sale thru July 18th!*************
Take 25% off all items in my herb shop! Just place your order and wait for an adjusted invoice. It's that easy!

EarthPath Artisans Street Team's Gypsy Challenge Begins! Come Vote!

The EarthPath Artisans Street Team (EAST) is having a Gypsy Design Challenge! Team members have taken their interpretation of what the word "Gypsy" conjures up for them, and created new pieces in a variety of media.

The purpose of this challenge is not to win prizes or compete with each other; rather, it's a way to build team camaraderie and inspire us to explore new themes and stretch our creative muscles. And for the winner, it means a little extra attention from an adoring public! Winners will be posted on the blog and on Etsy.

So stop by the EAST Challenge page on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/earthpathchallenge
To see pictures of the entries, and then go vote at the EAST blog
http://earthpathartisans.blogspot.com
You can also see many of the entries on Etsy by visiting the team shop's favorite items page.
http://earthpathartisans.etsy.com

Voting ends July 21st.
We'll see you there!

Today is my ETSY-versary! Sale in my shop!

Today is my two year Etsy-versary! Yay!
To celebrate, I'm going to offer 20% off everything in Summer Sea Herbs. If there's anything you want, just wait for an adjusted invoice after you make your purchases, before you pay.

It's been a great two years here, I'm so happy to have found Etsy, and of course, especially happy about our EarthPath Artisans family! You all rock my world!

Have a wonderful day!
Blessed be,
tracyw

Check out the new items in my shop!

Love your Mother!

Happy Earth Day!
Go organic!
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle as much as you possibly can!

Spring has Sprung! Finally...

While it seemed that Spring would never get here, the calendar has moved steadily on from Winter and officially become Spring. and not a minute too soon, either. I don't know a single person who hasn't felt just totally beaten down by the weather here so far this year.

So, to celebrate the fact that there are Spring flowers blooming somewhere, I've posted some of my pics from the annual New England Flower Show held in Boston. There's also a few of my other pics here that make me think of Spring.
Enjoy!

Winter Wonderland Challenge ~ Vote & Win!

The voting for our Winter Wonderland Challenge is still going on, so you STILL have a chance to VOTE and be put in for a FREE chance to WIN a WONDERFUL PRIZE PACK!

Registered Etsy members get FOUR votes each (not each shop). It's so easy to register, you just need an email address!

Each of the 4 top-hearted items have one of their voters chosen randomly to win a FANTASTIC prize pack put together by the members of EAST (which includes soap, earrings, ornaments, and a lot more!),


So get your votes in before the contest ends on January 7th! You can see all 22 of our entries by visiting our Team Shop's favorites: Here's the link to our team Favorites

Just click on the piece you want to vote for and "Add Item to Favorites". See how easy?

And all thru the Blog, not a new thing stirred...

I'm making amends here, on Christmas day, to you, my poor readers who have had nothing new from me in a very long time. For some reason, blogging has seemed a bit overwhelming lately. There have not been too many personal things that I could share, and business has been quiet. I felt stuck trying to come up with something useful, or funny, to say. I haven't had too many new pretty pictures, either.

I want to get back to blogging regularly, in the manner to which you have become accustomed. Know that there will be the usual mix of magick and medicine, business and pleasure. There will be, for awhile anyway, probably more business things. I owe ALOT of people posts about their shops for the Etsy 90/90 day challenge. It's now more like the 90/180 day challenge. Sorry about that! If you blogged about Summer Sea Herbs, know that I will blog you back~really.

Speaking of Summer Sea Herbs, I have been very busy getting some new products up in the Etsy shop, new packaging, and tending to EarthPath Artisan Street Team business.
I also tried my hand at a new mixed media piece for a promotion that the EAST team is currently running.

Personally, I wanted to let you know that I'm doing ok. Sometimes lately, Life has been challenging, but I'm hanging in there. I'll try to keep you up to date, and try to get some pics from the past season up here for you.

Tim & I made Chocolate-dipped pretzels for stocking stuffers this year! Yum!



Take care, and I'll be back really soon!
Merry Christmas & Blessed Yule!
~tracyw