It's Journal Time!

 

Added two new journals to my Etsy shop this morning, Rose...

and Belle.

Box Cat

Biscuit in her box.

So in my office/craft room I have a cubby type shelving system, as you can see above. Some of the cubbies hold brightly colored fabric boxes for storage, while others hold books or other self containing items. Not long after moving this into my room, Biscuit made her claim by grabbing the green box with her claws, pulling it out of the cubby hole and onto the floor where she then proceeded to remove everything in the box so she could lay in it. 

At first I would find her doing this, shake my head and put the box and all it's belongings back into place. But she kept doing it. So it became her box. The box now stays empty and Biscuit will jump on the ledge above the box, pull the box slightly out of the cubby and then squeeze herself into the box, just like you see above. Some days I walk into my room and I hear Biscuit chirping but I can't find her.

It's because she is in her box (see picture below).

Chirping box cat.

Tuesday's Top Pick

Look! It's Tuesday! And I'm actually doing what I said I would do! ;) Anywho...

Pins and Needles Peacoat

In honor of the upcoming first day of winter, despite the forecasted high 60's for the next three days - I give you a soft, plushy peacoat. Personally, I love peacoats. They have great lines that flatter while at the same time keeping you warm. Fashion AND sensibility! And this one, I love even more because it's fluffy. And soft. I mean really, who wouldn't want to cuddle up to that? ;)

It's Alive!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! With graduation and then my camera taking a nose dive on the concrete floor of the garage I've been MIA. But my camera is now alive and well so expect new posts soon!

-Sara

Last Hint of Autumn

Taken November 14, 2011.

This is always a sad time of year for me, watching all the pretty flowers fade away and the colored leaves dry out and tumble down. For example, the rose bush pictured above no longer has roses on it. However, once a month or so goes by we start to get snow and that is always fun. :)

More prints and cards will be showing up in my Etsy shop next week so keep an eye out! AND! A super secret surprise awesome gift idea should appear just in time for Christmas!!! 

Etsy shop live!

My Etsy shop is now live! You can find it here. I will be adding more photography and original paintings this week!

Tuesday's Top Pick

Ack! I keep forgetting about this! But at least I'm posting it in the week I meant to, right? Right. Here we go.

Dancing Moon Mosaic

Like many of the things I love, this is from Etsy (here). I'm hoping to slowly redo my craft room and this would be perfect for the colors I've chosen.

Saints Astray Winner!

Jacqueline Carey's Saints Astray

A big congrats to Dana who won Saints Astray contest! Dana, like many of you, picked Kushiel's Dart as her favorite in the Kushiel's Legacy series. In fact, Dart was the top choice overall with 55% of you picking it! 

Thanks goes to Jacqueline Carey for letting me have this amazing giveaway! Also, thanks for those of you that have decided to stick around and follow me, I appreciate it! On a short personal note, I will soon be expanding with an Etsy shop, which will include professional prints and cards of my photography so please feel free to stick around for that!

Thanks for everyone who entered!

Happy reading!

Sun cat

Biscuit taking a mid day nap.

Friskie!

Friskie, from Second Chance Pet Adoptions.

Setting Sun

Setting sun near my childhood home.

Saints Astray Contest!

Thanks to the wonderful Jacqueline Carey, I am hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of Saints Astray! If you haven't heard of Jacqueline Carey (her website is here) then you're really missing out on reading some of the most eloquently written books. Personally, I am addicted to her wordsmithing as much as her plot lines. Ironically I finished re-reading Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series just mere days before she announced this giveaway. Hint: the last line is important. ;)

Anywho, Saints Astray is her latest book and I know many of you are here just because you want to know how to get your paws on this book, so here you go...

All you have to do to get your signed copy of Saints Astray is leave a comment on this post by midnight November 15th telling me which of the Kushiel's Legacy books is your favorite (Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, Kushiel's Avatar, Kushiel's Scion, Kushiel's Justice or Kushiel's Mercy) and leave your email as well (otherwise I won't be able to get in touch with you if you win!). If you haven't read any of of the Kushiel's Legacy books, just tell me why you want Saints Astray.

Rules (I know, I don't like them all the time either) are as follows: Only one comment per person will be counted. Submissions without email addresses will be considered void. Once the winner has been chosen, it will be announced on this blog as well as via email to the random yet lucky winner. Questions can be sent to me at sorchaealaros@gmail.com.

The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced the morning of Wednesday, November 16th! Good luck! :)

Tuesday's Top Pick

It's that time again! I think. I've been confused lately. Yesterday I kept thinking that Thanksgiving was next week. Yep. My brain needs a vacation, apparently.

Kindle Book Case from Uncommon Goods

This is the best Kindle case/cover/whatever you wish to call it that I have ever seen. They also make them for the iPad. The best part is that they are done based on actual hardcover classic books. The one above is Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. There is also a Pride and Prejudice one that is fairly dreamy. 

Second Chance Pet Adoptions

Normally I try to keep work and play separate, because let's face it, even though I love being creative, it currently doesn't pay the bills. So, yes, this blog and the fun stuff you see within is all play.

However, I have been interning/volunteering with a local non-profit animal rescue for about five months now and seeing what they do everyday and how much they help the animals in my local area, I felt I needed to share this.

Second Chance Pet Adoptions (their site is here, if you want to take a look) is in the Chase Community Giving Facebook contest. Voting begins today, November 8, and ends on November 22.


What it means is this:

• The top charity will receive $250,000.
• The second through fifth place charities will receive $100,000.
• The sixth through 100th place charities will receive $25,000.

How do you vote?

Visit the Chase Community Giving application on Facebook, here. Once you do, a Request for Permission page will pop up. Allowing access lets Chase community with you regarding the Chase Community Giving program.

Everyone that "Likes" Chase Community Giving gets ten votes to use from today until November 22. You can only vote for each charity once, so get your friends and family to rally behind Second Chance Pet Adoptions by sharing us through Facebook and Twitter.

To vote, search for Second Chance Pet Adoptions of Raleigh, NC by any combination of charity name, keyword and/or zip code. Click on our charity link and vote. Then share!

Voting will late two weeks. Winners will be announced on or around November 23, 2011.

Note:

There are many non-profit organizations with names similar to Second Chance Pet Adoptions. To be sure you are voting for the Raleigh, NC organization, look out for our logo:

NaNoWriMo

Little Brink and I have moved over to NaNoWriMo. You can find me here. I thought maybe, just maybe, this would encourage me to actually write some instead of spending my entire day doodling and cleaning (nice combination, isn't it?).

Artists Desk

My desk - November 6, 2011.

Sneak Peak

Christmas Card 2011 Sneak Peak!

What on earth could it be? ;)

Holly, the Pretty Pretty Princes

Finally updated my flickr account, I'll be posting some of my favorites over the next few days.

Tuesday's Top Pick

I know this is late, but it's still awesome.

Feather Necklace

This absolutely gorgeous necklace is from etsy. And it is made with pheasant feathers. Pheasants! Imagine that. You can find it here.

Logo Change

I'm in the process of changing the design of Bella deLuna, including updating the logo. Here is a glimpse into the direction I might be heading...

Tuesday's Top Pick

And here begins a new series of posts, because I haven't looked at/edited my pictures in months. ;)

This wall vase from GaelSong is awesome simply because it is what it says it is - a wall vase. Do you realize what that means? DO YOU REALIZE?!? I can have flowers indoors where a certain feline can't reach them! No more hiding the flowers in the bathroom with the door closed so I can't see them... where then I realize that they are there two weeks later and oops, they died. That is, unless this certain feline doesn't figure out how to climb walls first.

Night Fairy Part 3

FINISHED!

Finished Poem Painting. Started in '08.

Close up of painting.

Poem:

Standing still in the mist of this fury,
The changing of seasons that happened all too fast,
Feel myself slipping, falling, rocks crumbling beneath,
Darkness slipping in like memories of the past.
Who can fight this, this tide of desperation,
This urge to give in, to not put up a fight,
But I know I must, for my path goes on,
I've seen it before, under the starry night.
Crystal moon against a darkened sky,
Bare feet running through the forest strong,
Bird of the night, the owl cries,
This one last battle, ending this epic song.
The long road has taken me here at last,
Between life and death, I must choose,
Battle scares cover my arms and feet,
And through weary I am, I cannot lose.
So in this circle of protection the fireflies dance,
With head to the sky and feet on the ground,
Althea and cedar sprinkled on the earth,
Nothing can touch me when the moon shines down.

Night Fairy Part 2

Little cat

Little cat knocking,
Meowing impatiently,
Quiet, let me sleep.

New painting!

Started a new painting this morning. Even though I have at least three other paintings I have yet to finish. ;)

Golden center

Tulip.

I would totally have better pictures to post if I wasn't to lazy to do two things:

     1) Upload the pictures from my camera.

     2) Edit them and make them pretty.

So instead of a *NEW* picture, you are getting a picture from April. Or is that March? One or the other. ;)

First Rose of Spring.... in Summer...

 

Early May. First rose in the garden.

So I feel like I've posted this before. But I haven't. I just take too many pictures of roses. And get this, this literally was the first rose to bloom in my gardens this year. And I'm just now getting around to posting it. You know, the day before Summer officially starts. Yep, I'm on the ball!

Golden Puffs

 

Dandelions are so pretty in the sun! I just hate them in my yard.

Dandelion Sunset

 

June 10th Sunset.

The Cave

The Cave (beginning stages)

So if you follow me on Twitter (bella_deLuna) I posted the other day that a new self portrait collage is coming. And it is! But this isn't it. ;) 

This is what happened when I heard the song "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons for the first time last night. Pure inspiration. Now it's not done, still have a few things to add to it, but I'll be working on it today as well as starting the layout for my self portrait collage. Yay for art!

Queen Biscuit

Yep. She totally thinks she's better than you.

Lavender Delight

 Lavender buds & lemon zest.

 

Baked shortbread.

 

Shortbread after the lavender & lemon glaze was poured on. :D

Bird of the sea

An oldie (as in taken YEARS ago) but a goodie. ;)

Medicinal

Echinacea. Good for colds. Or so I've heard.

Ice... cream?

Cupcake ice cream cones. f

Climbing

I really don't remember what this is called, but it's pretty. ;)

Blue bath

Normally I slightly edit pictures before I post them - these I did not. For one, I took these through a glass door so the quality is poor (and therefore editing them would just worsen their appearance) and second, I think the cuteness factor out rules the slight blurriness of the pictures. :D But be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them, then you'll really see what I'm talking about.

Unknown

Even though I have tried for weeks, I still have no idea what kind of moth this is.

Bath time

Lemon balm & baking soda. Put in a warm bath - great for dry, itchy skin.

Kitty cat

Sunning Kitty.

Smile!

Gerber daisies.

Best smelling flower in the world

Gardenia.

Pretty faces

Violets.

Living the good life

Fat gray squirrel.