And now she's a witch

I've spent the day concocting.

Little brown jars and essential oils, large jars and almond oil. I've been mixing and blending essential oils, making my own blends and mixing up some special brews of massage and body oils to give away for birthday presents.

The love of my life claims that now I'm a witch. No longer am I a hippy chick. Is this progress I ask myself. Chick sounds young and vibrant. Witch doesn't. I'm not sure that the change is fitting. He says it matches my age.

Charming.

Maybe I'll cast a spell on him - show him what a witch can do. Of course, I'd make it a nice spell. After all, I'll have to live with it. I think instead I'll give him a bottle of my stress relief blend - with Bergamot, Lavender, Grapefruit and Ylang Ylang.

Why My Wife's a Hippy Chick??

This is how my husband described me today "My Wife's a Hippy Chick". I don't mind (though I'm probably a bit long in the tooth to be a chick) but it made me reflect on why he thinks that!!

The comment came after someone posted a photo of a Himalayan Salt lamp on their Facebook page - and I pointed out we had two, and launched into my spiel about the benefits of them.

I asked him why he thought I was a hippy chick. He said that anyone who has salt lamps, burns incense, makes their own aromatherapy blends. collects candles and drinks herbal tea is probably a hippy chick.

 If the truth be known - back in the 70's when I was a teen, I was also considered a "hippy chick". I ate "granary" bread and Muesli (when it wasn't on supermarket shelves), drank herbal tea and had incense then too. I wore love beads and clogs - and in the cold English winter - woolly tights!! I can remember my mum describing one of her friends daughters after I'd left home. "She's one of those hippy types -  you know - she eats Muesli, wears wooly tights and watches Blackadder!!" I'm not sure what the Blackadder thing was about!!


So I'm off to reflect on than with my cup of rooibos!!

Anyone who knows me would say I'm not very artistic - except my friend Janelle, who obviously sees something that no-one else does!! Infact, my oldest son once told me that the only thing arty about me was my dress sense! (Gotta love boys). However, deep inside I know there is an artist, bursting to get out.

As a child I loved collage. Sticking bits of paper, cotton balls, glitter and other other trinkets onto a bigger bit of paper filled me with joy.

Then of course I grew up - and left collage in primary school where it belonged! And now, in my "mature years", my inner artist has decided that collage is OK for grown-ups. And all because I discovered art journalling.

I'm not very good, and I'm still trying to fathom it all out - but I've made myself a space in the room behind the garage. I've started gathering together some bits and pieces and I've started a few pages. Very crude at the minute, but I'm loving it.

Flowers

Prompted by a competition I saw on a Facebook page, I went out this evening and photographed some flowers. It was really too dark, and very cloudy, but I snapped away - and I enjoyed myself.

I think I'll set myself some kind of challenge so that I photgraph every day. I think I need to think creatively about it. What will inspire me to take a photo each day? These a few of today's efforts.

Finding Myself

I never really considered myself to be artistic, though the indicators were always there. I'm not good at drawing and my artistic ability at school and by myself was judged on that.

I was a dancer when I was young (and still am if the truth be known). But, I'm not arty in the sense that I can paint or draw things that look real. My artiness lay buried beneath, under a heap of misconceptions about how bad I was at drawing, singing and other such "real" artistic pursuits.


At school I loved collage - it was easy. I loved sticking, gluing and glitter, then one day I found art journalling. And guess what - it's all about doing your own thing - gluing, sticking - shapes, colour, anything that feels good. I love it.

I also got a very flash camera for a significant birthday, and have dicovered photography.

I'm just a beginner with both art and photography. But I'm loving it!!