fantasy art and tree chatter of aquariann

Don't let Halloween sneak past you! Go trick or treating early and often with the SPS team. Lady Ly's Halloween decor ideas include Halloween witch boot ceramic ornament by Ceraminic, Halloween pumpkin wall art by Little Miss Avery and my Halloween witch art bookmark .

Ahoy! Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Captain Hook may be more eloquent than most buccaneers, but that doesn't make him any less of a pirate. He's been my favorite pirate since I discovered Neverland as a lass. I bet a flask of rum that his character has attracted more wenches recently, thanks to his Killian Jones version on Once Upon a Time . In anticipation of the season 4 premiere on Sunday, September 28, I pointed my spyglass toward Etsy in search of pirate jewelry. If you've got a schoolgirl crush, these Captain Hook necklaces will keep him close to your heart. 1. Once Upon A Time Captain Hook Scrabble Tile Pendant by ShellyBelly4evr 2. Once Upon A Time Inspired Charm Necklace by Ziva Kreations 3. HOOK Sterling Silver Necklace by Ball and Chain 4. Captain HOOK Magical Necklace by Life is the Bubbles Disclaimer: This post was inspired by Life is the Bubbles , an enchanting blog sponsor that pays for advertising space and featured listings l...

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Jennifer Ahern for submitting the randomly-chosen 240th entry. Don't fall overboard, but it's been two years since my pirate wedding ! Our ship was filled to the hull with trinkets before we got married, thus we brazenly requested money to embark on an adventure instead of surrendering a gift registry. Our guests spoiled us with creative cards, all of which I saved in a treasure chest. The gold embossed rose envelopes above would have matched our color scheme beautifully, especially my black and gold silk rose bouquet. Now you have a chance to commandeer them for free! Vishruti from Paper Plaza is giving away a set of five gift envelopes of winner's choice from her Etsy shop. The money holders are made of recycled paper and measure 9cm x 17cm (approximately 3.5" x 6.5") each. The roses are available on a variety of colors, as are gorgeous gold foil paisely designs. The holidays will appear on the horizon...

"It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees." - George Eliot The last of the rose of Sharon petals fell a few days ago, but not before I photographed the purple flowers after a late summer rain.

The forest fairies are preparing for fall. Pasha Bodrum waved her magic wand to help during a Treasury Island spotlight attack on my fantasy shop. Her whimsical gift ideas include sage green and pink fairy wings by R.S. Dixon Art, felted fairy shoes by Zave's Felt and my swirly pink flower magnet .

The autumnal equinox is almost a week away! I rarely wear orange during other seasons, but fall makes me crave orange fashions, copper jewelry ... and pumpkin desserts, of course. In anticipation of shifting to autumn shades, I picked a sheet of Hippie Bloom nail wraps as my prize from Laura Neiser 's Jamberry giveaway in August. The bohemian floral style retired last month, but my accent nail choice, Fresh Fern , is still available. Want to be a guest blogger for my Manicure Monday when I don't have new nails of my own to show off? Please contact me using the form on my contact page if you're interested in a free feature. Or if you've done an orange flower manicure in the past, comment with the link and I'll add it to my featured finds below. Orange Floral Nail Art Finds:

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Mai Tran for submitting the randomly-chosen 182nd entry. I am totally an '80s child. At age 5, my parents took me to my first concert to see The Bangles. They were my favorite band (unless you count Jem and the Holograms) through grade school. And yes, I still belt out their hit songs at the top of my lungs when I hear them on the radio. I also still have several bangle bracelets from that decade, as does Vandana from Vintage Vandu . I'm not ready to part with mine, but she's offering one lucky lady a $10 gift card to take her pick. Vandana's bangle bracelets collection rocks. The vintage bangles sets come in several colors, widths and designs. Or if you don't wear bracelets, browse other handpicked vintage finds from her global Indian closet. Beautiful embroidered silk sarees, salwar suits, linens and table decor might make your heart sing. <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2014/09/gift-card-g...

"Sunset is still my favorite color, and rainbow is second." - Mattie Stepanek September is my favorite month to go to the beach, especially during sunset! I'm sure sunrise is stunning, too, it's just too early for me.

My bosses threw summer a going away party by organizing a beautiful beach picnic for their employees last weekend. Although the kayaks and paddleboards must have scared the mermaids away, I did spot a stunning sunset that I'll share tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday. I turned to Beadmask for siren stories instead. Her mermaid gift ideas from the Fantasy Artists of Etsy include beach wedding tiara by Thyme2dream, mermaid art postcard by Meredith Dillman and my American mermaid art magnet .

EDIT: Giveaway is officially over. Congratulations to Ashley Costanzo for submitting the randomly-chosen 778th entry. After seeing all my spring and summer flower photography , you may be surprised to find out that fall is my favorite season. Although I'll miss the fresh blooms, I look forward to snuggling into a hoodie and walking beneath the changing leaves of vibrant trees. If you're not as excited to see summer end, here's a comforting thought - you could win a $30 gift card to Alison Storry Jewelry and pick a piece of flower jewelry to ease the pain. It's tough to choose a favorite out of Alison's FOUR HUNDRED jewelry listings, but her calla lilly flower necklaces are at the tippy top of my choices. No wonder her bohemian jewelry collection is abound with beauty - take a peek inside her studio in the woods . Having a forest view, especially during autumn, must be quite a Muse! <a href="http://blog.aquariann.com/2014/09/gift-card-giveaway-jewe...

Labor Day has clocked out and unofficially ended summer. With less tourists to wriggle into my view, it's time to return to the beach and watch for mermaids. The sunshine sparkling off my golden bangle bracelet from The Indian Bazaar just might lure them closer. The velvet and lurex lace pattern is reminiscent of fish scales and would match any mermaid's tail swimmingly. Even if serenaded by a siren song, I wouldn't part with my golden metal bracelet. But don't shed a mermaid tear! Not only are there other colors available in this vintage bracelet style, but you still have a chance to win a wrap bracelet by entering Vishruti's Jewelry Giveaway before September 10, 2014. Disclaimer: I received this free bracelet as a thank you gift for hosting a jewelry giveaway. If you think your creations would harmonize with my whimsical ramblings, learn how to sponsor a giveaway here .

"Handle a book as a bee does a flower, extract its sweetness but do not damage it." - John Muir I wasn't the only one eating lunch at Serendipity a few weekends ago. This bumblebee was enjoying a meal in one of the many hibiscus flowers I photographed.