Shower Storage Hack

Posted on by CraftyWitch

As I stated before, I love Pinterest! I get a lot of ideas from the site and some ideas I use, others I improve upon. Today I want to show you one idea that I found on Pinterest.

There is never enough space in any shower for all the doo-dads you use, bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash pretty much full up any available storage area within your tub or shower. But what do you do with all the small things? If you are like me, you keep a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush in the shower – why not clean everything in the same space … right?

I also need a razor and I have one of those stones for scrubbing away dead skin on my feet. But where to put them?

I also like to browse through local charity thrift stores and second hand shops. I found a full size shower rod (in white which matches my wood trim around my apartment) for sale at a local shop – total price – $1.50. Then I went to Dollar Tree (Another favorite of mine) and purchased three storage baskets. They come in a bundle of three, so total cost on that $1 + tax, I also picked up a package of shower curtain rings at Dollar Tree – again total cost $1 + tax.

I strung six of the curtain rod rings onto the rod and then used two each to attach the baskets. Now, I have ample storage for all my shower needs.

Let me know if you try this, and send me pics of yours! I could have used any color basket, they had four or five colors to choose from at Dollar Tree, but I chose to go with white, because I wanted it to blend with the wood trim and the shower surround. If you want a pop of color to your shower – then use something colorful! Here are two pics of my little project that cost me less than $5!!

What’s nice about this set up, is if your baskets get dirty – you can easily take them down, replace with new ones for $1 or just run them through the dishwasher!

As always – Blessed Be!

New Crafts

Posted on by CraftyWitch

One craft that I do is a lot of fun, but I find it’s also profitable. I search out glass pieces at our local thrift store and then create these flowers out of them. I then mount them on metal posts that are spray painted green to look like stems.

I completed five of them yesterday and put them up for sale through Facebook, I’ve already sold four. Here’s a look at the five I completed.

I really enjoy making these, and they make a garden, walkway or driveway so much prettier! I seem to be the only person making these in my area and I think that’s why they sell so fast. I’m glad they do because the extra cash helps me quite a bit.

I’d love your feedback – and as always Blessed Be!

Basil and Money

Posted on by CraftyWitch

Well, the five days of my Money Magic Spell has ended. I have to say that it was a definite “give & take” on this spell. After running the spell for three days, I had an offer from a friend to buy my canopy tent, which I no longer need – the offer was much higher than I would have thought and I was thrilled at the extra cash I would have on hand this month.

Then it happened!

I had a doctor’s appointment on Monday and I needed to run into town first to get fuel and pick up a prescription. On my way into town, I was forced out of my lane by a bus that was attempting to pass me to my right, but he couldn’t keep his land within a curve in the road. In order to avoid collision, I slowed way down and eased as far as I could to the left – but I went too far. I hit the curb!  Both my front and rear passenger tires blew! I had the car towed to a local shop and then called my ex-husband. He drove me to my doctor’s appointment and back to town (that’s about 100 or so miles)

I picked up my car from the shop where I had them put on used tires, because I cannot afford new – though I’ve been saving monthly to be able to put four new tires on my car – which I affectionately refer to as “Haven”. The cost of the used tires was equal to that of what I was offered for my canopy tent. So you can see that there is a definite give and take! I gained, but I lost as well.

This week I am trying something new: Basil!

Basil has many wonderful qualities. It is masculine in nature, it’s associated with the element of fire and to the planet Mars. It is sacred to Vishnu, Tulasi and Erzulie.

Ways to use Basil in Magic:

  • Steady the mind, bring happiness, love, peace, and money.
  • Protects against insanity.
  • Carry a leaf in your wallet or place one in your cash register to bring money.
  • Attract Love.
  • Brings luck on journeys.
  • Is used in the preparation of astral projection.
  • Attract customers and keep away thieves by soaking basil in water for three days, then sprinkle the water over your threshold.
  • Used in spells of peacekeeping – to help all parties mend after a fight or argument.
  • Keep a basil leaf in every room of your home. It will protect you and your family as well as your home.
  • Personal Protection: Rub a basil leaf on your forehead before leaving home.

For myself this week, I am going to start carrying a basil leaf in my wallet. Perhaps it will help me to spend wisely and save funds as opposed to buying the needless!

Inserting a basil leaf to my wallet

I certainly hope that you find this helpful, I appreciate any feedback.

As always, Blessed Be!

Home Cleansing Spell

Posted on by CraftyWitch

It’s very important to Smudge your home regularly. If you feel negative energies in your home or even your workspace, you may want to consider performing a Smudging. A thorough Sage Cleansing can make you feel much better.

Places, people and things – even spaces – aren’t made up of only a physical matter, they also contain an invisible energy that vibrates and changes. When you use a Smudging, you cleanse yourself and your space of all the invisible negative energies that gather over periods of time.

The effects of a Smudging can be rather quick in some instances and can sometimes be very dramatic as you will feel the energy around you change quickly. It’s important to Smudge your area and your body when you move into a new space and repeat this process when the air in your space feels heavy – and when your mind feels clogged and you find that you cannot focus in your space. Smudging can be done daily, weekly, monthly. Frequency of Smudging is completely up to you and your spiritual energy.

Smudging on a budget – what you will need:

  • Smudging Kit (Dried Sage and a bird
    feather will do)
  • ·Your Apartment or house
  • An Ashtray, bowl or dish


Smoke of Air and Fire and Earth

Cleanse and Bless this Home and Hearth

Drive away all Harm and Fear

Only Good May Enter Here

Once you have completed a full circle of your entire home, lay the smudge (the sage) in an ashtray, dish or bowl and allow it to burn for at least three hours.
Remember the importance of the power of three!

You can take Smudging to a whole new level by adding additional tools to your Smudging Kit, may Witches and Pagans will use things like

  • Smudge Kit – I suggest this one at Amazon.com
  • Candles
  • Crystals
  • Essential Oils
  • Sea Salt
  • Palo Santo Wood

Each of these items are powerful tools when cleansing, but don’t be fooled into purchasing all of these items when a simple sage stick will do the job. All of the extra items are simply additional tools. If your budget it tight, you may want to stick with a simple sage bundle.

The most important part of Smudging is the Sage Bundle. It is, by far, the most effective herb for this purpose. It has the incredible power to drive away negative spirits, energies and any negative influences that are dwelling in your space. Again, Amazon.com is my go-to place for a Smudging Kit because it comes with all your really going to need.

Candles, are a great tool to add to your smudging process, when lighting a candle you bring to the space the element of fire. As one of the four elements, fire is sacred to the Gods and the Goddesses. Candles have a wonderful purifying effect, it brings light, courage and will purify your intentions.

Crystals are another tool for your cleansing kit. Because crystals come from the earth it brings in another of the powerful four elements. By adding this to your kit, you give the Smudging process you allow the cleansing to hold your intentions and keep it long after your Smudging takes place. Choose the type of crystals that are right for your intention, it will act as an activator and generator of both physical energy and spiritual energy. A clean crystal is a powerful crystal, so be sure to cleanse them often.

There is a great page on Pinterest that has a list of Crystals and their meanings:

A natural purifier when in your space is Sea Salt. Sea Salt is full of “yang energy” and helps transform negative energies into positive ones. It’s a great idea to leave a bowl of Sea Salt in the corners of your house that face both North-East and Shttps://www.aromaweb.com/essentialoils/default.aspouth-West. Be sure also to change your salt and clean your bowl at least every couple of weeks, this ensures that the salt stays both fresh and clear.

Essential Oils, each one has its own specific quality and use. I have searched many sites and found Aroma Web to be be the most informative. I am not recommending that you buy from them specifically, I am only saying they’ve done the research into which oil performs which service to you.

The final step in a full Smudging Ceremony should be the burning of a Palo Santo wood. Now this wood is believed to have therapeutic powers, cleansing powers and medicinal powers. It will assist in inspiring creativity and fill your space with positive energies. By burning this last, you allow it to attract positive energies and it will aid in the healing process after you’ve banished all the negativity with the sage.

As Always, Merry Meet and Blessed Be!




     

New Crafts

Posted on by CraftyWitch

I wanted to share a couple things I’ve done in the last couple of days. I needed to revamp a couple of things and I am super happy with the way things turned out.

First – The kitchen spices

I had my spices all lined up on the back of my stove, but I felt it wasn’t a very good idea as the back of the stove gets heated when the oven is on. I found an idea on Pinterest (my go-to site) and thought that it was something I could do.  The idea started with an old baking pan and by using that it offered a “farmhouse” look. I was completely ready to do just that, but instead – while perusing the local thrift stores – I found a rectangular planting dish that is approximately 2” deep. The inside is black while the outside is a deep green. The thrift store price was $1. I then stopped in a Hobby Lobby and picked up a package of four round wood legs (that are flat on one side). I decided to paint the legs in a no-frills mix of black and deep green. Though the picture doesn’t do the legs justice, they did come out quite good. To attach the legs to the planter I used Loctite All Purpose GO2 glue, which is my go-to adhesive when doing crafts of any kind.  You be the judge of how well it turned out – perhaps you might want to create one for yourself.

Second – The bathroom

Since moving into my apartment last November I have been using a floor standing TP dispenser, it’s metal, industrial looking and to be honest – not only did I not like the look of it, but as I was trying to dispense TP, the entire thing would fall over. The other day I was pondering this and I recalled going to a house with my old neighbor where there was a Tupperware party going on. I didn’t buy any BTW!  The host of the party had a wonderfully decorated home and I was duly impressed, but it was a basket on the bathroom floor near the commode with multiple rolls of paper in it that stuck with me the most.  No idea why it was that one thing that stuck with me, but it did. So, I decided I was going to do the same thing.  During my run through the local thrift stores, I found a basket that was exactly the size and shape I was looking for – but it was a dingy looking off white color. No problem!

I took the basket out on the front lawn with a sheet of cardboard and a can of burgundy spray paint and gave the basket two coats, allowing it to dry in between coats. Once it was completely dry, I brought it inside and replaced the metal TP holder with the basket. I love the way it turned out and no more worries about the metal thing tipping over anymore.

I hope you like these ideas and can put them to use at your home! In the meantime…

Blessed Be

Getting my Groove On!

Posted on by CraftyWitch

Lately, I’ve been putting on weight, and I hate it. I have Fibromyalgia, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis so exercising is somewhat difficult for me, but I have found a program that I can follow. It’s called Body Groove and it’s lead by a woman named Misty Tripoli. The website is here: Body Groove

I have ordered the program, but while I am waiting for it to arrive, I am able to do the workouts through the streaming program that is on the website – no waiting!  I like that! I am also working to change up my diet as well.

I typically go all day without eating and drink only coffee (made my way) or water during the day, in the evening I cook a meal and cup after cup of hot tea. I know I am doing it wrong, I also find myself overeating at dinner time as well. So, change is happening. Today, I am cooking a 19lb turkey that was given to me. I am going to eat from the breast meat today, then strip all the meat from the bones and store a bunch of turkey for meals on future days. Some will go in the fridge, the rest to the freezer. I am also cutting out all carbs from my diet. I’ve been overdoing it on potatoes, rice, breads and so on.

The coffee, well I can’t and won’t give that up! I have a 24oz travel mug made by Contigo and I have two or sometimes three of those a day. I start by putting in a packet of hot chocolate and then fill to within a half inch of the top with coffee – then I top it off with French Vanilla Creamer. It is so delish! I can’t imagine drinking my coffee any other way. I had been drinking it with milk, but when I was living in California last year, my daughter in law had the French Vanilla creamer and I tried that instead. I’ve been hooked ever since.

It’s just after noon now, and I’ve got the turkey in the oven, I’ve done two of the Body Groove exercises and I’ve been working on cleaning the apartment and knitting as well. I’ve got to go to the RedBox and return a couple of movies I rented last night. I am so thrilled to have the external dvd player for my computer now. I can watch movies, listen to cd’s, and will use it for the Body Groove program when it arrives. I think it was a wise $17 investment!  Thank you Amazon!

It’s also day two of my money spell, so I’ve got my next red tealight burning and I’ve added more Allspice to the bowl.  If you haven’t read about my money spell, click here:  https://wordpress.com/posts/craftywitch.home.blog

I am also planning on spending some time working on garden flowers that I make using repurposed glass from local thrift stores. Here’s a pic of one I did recently!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I’d love your feedback! In the meantime,

Blessed Be!

Money Magic Spell

Posted on by CraftyWitch

Trinka Five Today I created a Money Magic Spell – I will show you how to do one of your own here. First you need the following:
  • ·        A decorative plate or bowl
  •             Five red candles – I find Dollar Tree Red Tealights for this.
  • A stick of cinnamon – which is for prosperity
  • Allspice – which is for success
  • A Handful of spare change
The change represents the “seed money” – you can use whatever is in your pocket or the bottom of your purse, even some from the savings jar you have on hand. You need to use at least five coins. Place one red candle in the middle of your decorative plate/bowl and surround it with your spare change. Add in the cinnamon stick and sprinkle everything with a good dose of Allspice, As you do this repeat this chant three times:

            Trinka Five

            Trinka Five

            My Money Magic

            Comes Alive

 

Light the candle and let it burn completely out. Do this again each day for a total of five days. Add into the bowl/dish any spare change that you accumulate within those five days, adding a sprinkle of Allspice to your dish each time.

 

Remember always to say Thanks.

 

 

If during the five days you find you need some of the money from the dish, feel free to take some, remembering to say Thank You  – but be sure to always leave five coins!

 

 

Blessed Be

K's

About Me

Posted on by CraftyWitch

I’ve been wanting to write this page for a while, I am finally doing it – and back dating the publishing date so it will appear earlier in the timeline.

There are many aspects and sides of me, many of those sides I will share here in this blog. I am all of the following:

  • A Pagan that follows the Celtic Ways and Wicca
  • A mother of five wonderful kids
  • A grandmother to four amazing kids
  • Twice divorced – though I wish it were only once, I would love to reconcile with my second husband – but for now we are friends
  • Living alone with my dog Bailey – who I rescued from a no kill shelter on the day they were going to put him down, because he wouldn’t allow human touch – and now he’s my cuddle buddy.
  • I’ve just started knitting – though I’m not very good, but I find it soothing
  • Living on a very small disability check that does not really cover my expenses. Which means I hardly leave the house because I can’t afford to do anything.
  • I suffer from PTSD, Social Anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder, Bi-Polar all stemming from childhood sexual abuse – which I am not afraid to talk about. I am under Psychiatrist care and am well medicated – So I am handling things a lot better than I used to.
  • I also have Fibromyalgia, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis. All for which I am under doctors care and am managing. Some days are great, some are definitely not great.
  • I love to craft things, especially when I can take things from thrift stores and combine them, in some way, to make something new – pretty – and especially something I can sell to make money.
  • I love to explore my family history and genealogy. I have an account at Ancestry and love spending time adding new family members through research and hints.
  • I’ve done my Ancestry DNA and found that I am 53% Irish/Scottish and 47% English – which differs greatly from what my parents told me. I always thought that I was 100% of English decent. Nice to know that there’s a mix in there somewhere.
  • I am allergic to the sun! Less than 10 minutes exposure and I break out in blisters.
  • I’ve just put myself on an exercise program and diet plan – I’ve gained weight over the last couple months, and I really needed to lose weight before that gain. So I am working at it and could use the support!

When I think of more things to add to that list, I will update it. However, there in a nutshell is me. I am many things, with many interests, problems and a past I can’t get away from. This is me!

As Always – Blessed Be!