fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Samantha Port for submitting the randomly-chosen 480th entry. Soon snow will blanket many lands in beauty. If your dreams of a white Christmas rarely come true in your climate, your luck could change this holiday season. Life is the Bubbles is gifting a $35 gift card to one winner. That's enough to buy the snowflake bottle necklace above AND a pair of magical snowballs earrings . Or if you've had enough of the cold weather already, choose jewelry inspired by Disney movies that are told in a warmer part of the globe. From an Arabian Nights necklace to a Pirates of the Caribbean charm bracelet, there's plenty of designs to help you think hotter than hot thoughts this winter. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/11/jewelry-giveaway-magic-snowflake-necklace.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/ee329/aquariann/blog/giveaways/125x125-lifeisthebubbles3...

Despite the Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge, it already feels like Christmas to me! Not only did my mom spoil me with black sequin boots and Nightmare Before Christmas headphones on our traditional Black Friday shopping spree, but my generous giveaway sponsors have been sending me gifts galore. I can't wait to wear the lace flower necklace on the right to a holiday party - the other guests will be so enamored by its elegance that they won't notice how many chocolate chip cookies I've devoured. Beautiful brass and pearl elements add even more romance to the delightful design. This isn't my first and hopefully not my last vintage-inspired jewelry piece by Talila Design . I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous green flower necklace a few months ago and have been stalking her shop ever since. She's even offering a pre-holiday coupon - use "VIPSALE" during checkout before December 1, 2013 to receive 20% off, free shipping AND a gift. Disclaimer: I...

"Autumn ... the year's last, loveliest smile." - William Cullen Bryant The winter solstice may be a few weeks away, but the frigid weather is insisting that autumn is already over. 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 over. Congratulations to Misha Ferguson for submitting the randomly-chosen 755th entry. Brrr, Jack Frost has already been nipping at my nose. But I know a way to look hotter than roasting chestnuts on an open fire - win exotic jewelry! Katharina of Pépin d'or Jewellery is giving away the seed bracelet above to celebrate Christmas. The gorgeous green and red beads are dyed bombona seeds from a palm tree, so the winner will be able to carry a piece of paradise with her in any climate, even the North Pole! The beautiful bracelet is embellished with a luck charm of Aventurine quartz beads and closes with a silver clasp. Katharina has discovered many marvelous materials from traveling abroad. From acai seeds to tagua nuts, she hand picks and dyes each one to achieve those brilliant colors. She sands each seed depending on how vivid she wants the end result, then strings them before boiling in natural vegetable dye for hours. The beads take up to three ...

"It's very tough for me to focus. I'm like: Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!" - Gabby Douglas Usually I go to the Jamestown Settlement to learn about American history, but during our last trip to Virginia, I just chased this beautiful brown butterfly with blue eyespots around their Visitor Center. 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 over. Congratulations to Lindsay McCain for submitting the randomly-chosen 361st entry. Don't rely on your true love to send you a partridge in a pear tree for Christmas - win one for free instead. Julia of Eternal Girl is giving away a $25 gift card to spend in her handmade jewelry shop. The pretty partridge ring above is just one of her many henna-inspired designs. From birds to flowers to zodiac symbols, she hand draws each image before placing it into a bronze pendant. She associates her artwork with the undying need to reach out and extend her limitations through love and life. That's why she chose her shop name - "eternal girl" is the female version of puer aeternus, a Latin term used in mythology to describe a childlike god that craves boundless freedom. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2013/11/henna-art-jewelry-giveaway-gift-card.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i532.photobucket.c...

My schedule is still reeling from falling back for the end of daylight savings, but I do know it's time for sponsor shout-outs! Branch out to Life is the Bubbles , Beadmask , Purple Peacock Jewels and Athenianaire for autumn accessories to decorate your body and home in orange. Life is the Bubbles' magic bottle necklace will have you singing with all the voices of the mountain. The corked bottle is filled with a multitude of glitter to echo all the colors of the wind. As if you didn't already gather that the piece was inspired by Disney's Pocahontas movie, the tree charm symbolizes Grandmother Willow. The pendant hangs from a 19.5" bronze chain that closes with a heart toggle clasp. Beadmask's leather leaf fork will look scrumptious in your hair during the harvest season. Quality tooling leather was hand carved to resemble an oak leaf and twigs. Then she painted the leather in a range of warm browns and golds for autumn. Pheasant and rooster feathers w...

"We are our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves." - Tom Robbins If you were envious of the dragon crown I wore to FaerieCon 2012, you must be gloriously green now! The utterly talented Beadmask designed matching leather dragon wings, bracelet cuff and necklace for my FaerieCon dragon costume this year. See a front view on my facebook page . 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 over. Congratulations to Susana Silva for submitting the randomly-chosen 392nd entry. Normal people go to the beach in the summer, but I prefer autumn when it's more peaceful. The weather may be chilly, but that's why scarves come in handy! Not to mention that they're also a fun fashion accessory. One winner will get to choose any scarf under $40 from Elizabeth Koh to heat up an outfit. Elizabeth Koh is not one person, but two - both Janelle and Megan's middle names are Elizabeth, and Koh means island in Thailand, where they handcraft all their cotton and silk scarves. Every collection is named after a beach or island in Thailand and feature a range of weights for wearing in several seasons. Elizabeth Koh is committed to improving the communities where their products are made, so 10% of proceeds are donated to SOS Children's Villages in Thailand. Not only will you help feed others by buying a scarf this holiday season, you'll al...

"They hold their great balls in the open air, in what is called a fairy-ring. For weeks afterward you can see the ring on the grass. It is not there when they begin, but they make it by waltzing round and round. Sometimes you will find mushrooms inside the ring, and these are fairy chairs that the servants have forgotten to clear away." - The Little White Bird excerpt by J.M. Barrie During our last trip to Williamsburg, we took the Colonial Parkway to Riverwalk Restaurant in Yorktown and stopped at Indian Fields Creek just long enough to photograph these cute mushrooms. 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!