fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Anisha Vasudevan for submitting the randomly chosen 493rd entry. All the lady birds will want to flock this way - Paige of Oh Nostalgia Designs is giving away an antique brass feather necklace. Three ivory glass pearls adorn a large feather charm to make a loudly elegant statement. The feather, chain and clasp are all antique brass, adding to the design's beautifully vintage feel. Vintage treasures of all eras have inspired Paige for years. She appreciates the quality of items crafted ages ago, and strives to make pieces that will last for a long time, too. Mixing classic motifs with modern parts, she's able to handmake vintage-inspired jewelry that is easy to wear in the current era. As she asks, "Because what's the point of jewelry if it just sits in your box?" <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/04/brass-feather-necklace-giveaway-jewelry.html" target="_blank"><img...

"I know a little garden close Set thick with lily and red rose, Where I would wander if I might From dewy dawn to dewy night. And have one with me wandering." - William Morris Look at the beautiful yellow lily Ogre planted me to brighten up our back porch! Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun!

EDIT: Giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Eugenie Wu for submitting the randomly chosen 67th entry. You won't need a spoonful of sugar to help this news go down - the sweet ladies at Life is the Bubbles are offering another jewelry giveaway in the most delightful way. They're giving away a $35 gift card to spend on any of the Disney-inspired pieces in their Etsy shop! A practically perfect choice for a Mary Poppins fan would be the adorable spoon earrings above - you'd even have enough left over to buy a matching miniature book ornament . Or if that film doesn't float your ... umbrella, there's no need for dismay! Their handmade store is filled with magical creations inspired by many Disney movies, from bottle necklaces to charm bracelets to silhouette paintings. The cat has got my tongue on how to describe just how wonderful they are so I'll just summon up this word, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" <a href="http:/...

It's the season for refreshing your wardrobe! Branch out to 7PM Boutique , Beadmask , Thyme2dream , Theresa Rose Designs , Athenianaire , and Life is the Bubbles for leaf jewelry and spring accessories. 7PM Boutique's turquoise leaf earrings feature beautifully hand-carved leaves and heishi beads on silver hoops. Many cultures view turquoise as a sacred stone. It's been found set into the earliest known protective amulets. The Aztecs even believed it to be a stone of the Gods, so mortals weren't allowed to wear it. But don't let that discourage you from buying it - if anything, these turquoise earrings will make you feel like a goddess! Beadmask's Lady of the Leaves mask may blend into an enchanted forest but will make you stand out at a Renaissance faire. The design is hand cut and sculpted from fine tooling leather, then hand carved and painted in shades of rich forest green, iridescent emerald and olive with just a hint of bronze. The leather mask mea...

I still blame high school for stunting my growth. I haven't grown since 7th grade and my feet are the same size as my mom's, who's a good 4 inches taller than me. Hence I'm slightly self-conscious about the ungraceful length of my feet compared to my body, especially now that I belly dance without shoes so often. But thanks to Cathy of Golden Hands Design, I now possess a pair of crochet barefoot sandals to accessorize my feet when dancing on the beach. I chose her "Niagara Falls" design to match a blue sequined hip scarf that reminds me of the ocean. The same day her fabulous foot thongs arrived, I also received the 32 non-toxic nailpolishes I won from Madison Street Beauty's nail lacquer giveaway. Continuing with the water theme, I painted my toenails with the "Island Cove" shade first. The handmade creations actually make my feet feel pretty! Disclaimer: I received these free sandals as a thank you gift for hosting a free fashion giveaw...

"Oh to be a pear tree – any tree in bloom! With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world!" - Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God I didn't know what kind of tree with white blossoms I shared last week until I did an image search for magnolia hybrids, but I'm pretty sure this is a flowering pear tree! Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun!

The week after Ogre and I went to see Disney's new Wizard of Oz movie, I downloaded The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection from Amazon for only 95 cents! I've collected a few of L. Baum's Oz books from yard sales over the years, but hadn't realized there were 14. Or just how different the books were from the Oz movies! Take a spin with Alexis of The Woodland Burrow to the Land of Oz. Wonderful Wizard of Oz gifts include Dorothy's shoes necklace by Kululush, Tin Man sculpture by The Charmed Gourd and my flying monkey bookmark . Treasuries shared by readers between April 16 - April 22, 2013 The Land of Oz Round and Round It Goes Tea time! Sunday Shopping Lists Emerald Jewels copper Incredible Copper April Showers Spring- Summer- Fall- Winter Fairies of the Flowers - Spring Dreams Spring in the Forest Complementary colors Thoughtful Gifts for Mothers Day Four Seasons Art With Lots of Heart Turqouise for Mommoise! Blooming Sea Green Roses Mag...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Jennifer Reed for submitting the randomly chosen 851st entry. Everyone else wins runner-up prize of coupon code "FAIRYDEAL" to get 10% off at Dzign by Jamie during checkout before May 31, 2013. The weather has been a terrific temperature for leaving the windows open at night. I've been waking to birds chirping for mates and daydreaming that I'll get to see more baby birds grow up like the beautiful barn swallows from last year. You might spy a nest earlier than I do - Dzign by Jamie is giving away a $30 gift card to her jewelry shop. The winner could choose to give a home to the faux pearl egg and copper wire wrapped bird nest necklace above or another marvelous metal design. As you may remember from her giveaway I hosted last April, Jamie's jewelry makes the best Mother's Day gifts. She offers several hand stamped pieces that can be personalized with names, sayings and yes, even stick figures to ma...

"Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come." - Robert H. Schuller Spring has officially arrived and white flowering trees are beginning to bloom! Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun!

Warmer weather is coming in waves and people are already flocking to the beach. Even if you're miles from the ocean, you can keep its essence close - Theresa Rose Designs offers beautiful beach jewelry, such as the blue Swarovski starfish pendant and white pearl necklace to the right. Theresa's simply elegant designs focus on earthy, natural elements. She attributes her beachy inspiration to being born and raised in San Diego, California. Jewelry-making started out as a hobby, but she turned to selling on Etsy to support her jewelry supply habit that was crashing out of control. She thought if she could sell one piece of jewelry per week, it'd justify buying more materials. She confides, "What I didn't expect was how much enjoyment and satisfaction I would get out of running the business side of things. I really love being the owner of my own business, making all the decisions and personally interacting with all my customers on a daily basis. So, my 'hobby...

EDIT: Jewelry giveaway is officially closed. Congratulations to Stephanie Tyler Hastie for submitting the randomly chosen 56th entry. My go-to guise for last-minute costume parties wasn't always a fairy - I made a sexy flapper back in high school. And I'll still use any excuse to wear strands of pearls and feather headbands. You can add a vintage twist to your modern attire, too - Nicole of Eva M Designs is giving away a pretty pair of peach pearl earrings inspired by fashion of the 1920s. Three freshwater pearls (4 mm) dangle in a row from dark gunmetal wire, measuring approximately 1.5 inches in length. The earrings were designed to match Lucy, an opera-length necklace that's available for purchase in her Etsy shop. Although Nicole has recently been swept up in designing 1920's jewelry (she openly admits that Downton Abbey is mostly to blame :), her first love is beach glass, thanks to years of beach-combing in her hometown. She dragged friends and boyfriends on...

During the summer, I spend about as much time in the sun as the average mermaid. I dart in and out of waves of light only as much as I dare with my fair skin. My eyes are sensitive, too - I may not wear my sunglasses at night, but I do wear them outside year-round, even on cloudy days. They're a must-have fashion accessory so I own many pairs in different colors and styles! It hadn't occurred to me to buy glasses online until Firmoo.com approached me about writing a review. The funnest part of shopping for sunglasses is getting to try several pairs, right? Well, you can still do that on their website - Firmoo offers a Virtual Try-On system . All I had to do was upload a photo of me looking straight ahead, select my PD (am I the only one out there that doesn't know my Pupilliary Distance? I guessed ... badly and had to upload a few times until the sunglasses fit my face correctly. It would have been frustration-free if the widget let me change the PD value without having ...

"The daffodil is our doorside queen; She pushes upward the sword already, To spot with sunshine the early green." - William Cullen Bryant I was almost too full after Easter dinner to get low enough to take this daffodil photo. Flutter to my Wordless Wednesday Directory for a list of blogs that regularly host WW Linky Parties. Grab my button as a reminder to return next week for more photography fun!

Once upon a time (last Friday, to be exact) ... my Etsy shop got randomly chosen for a Spotlight Attack on the Treasury Island team! Team captain Arlene of This and That Crafter was one of eight members that told a tale using my fantasy art. Whimsical gifts include woodland fairy costume by Enchanted Fairy Ware, purple sparkles photo print by Photography by Lori H. and my green dragon button ! Treasuries shared by readers between April 2 - April 8, 2013 Once Upon a Time Spring Break Means Beach to Me It's Always Tea Party Time Vibrant Red Marine Life Summer Trends Fresh as Spring Spring Time on My Mind Eostre sunshine on the bay 11 (no really, that's what they called it...) 12 (this one too...) Fairies have Awakened Spring! To the Water and the Wild with a FAE The Beauty Of All That Is Artsy From Autumn To Spring And Back Again Purple Treasury Rose Red Fairies A Few of My Favorite Things... Black and White Circle Around There's A Golden Hound In...