I am no longer a pedicure virgin! I got this done this morning. It is nice to experience something different. My feet feel so soft and smooth. It was $25 but I opted for the nail art on my big toes which costed an extra $5. $30 plus $5 tip. The lady was very nice. She was actually chatting with me. Usually when I go get my hair done, if it is not one of the two ladies I normally go to, they don’t chat much with me. I stayed off my phone and gave her my respect. Can you imagine working on somebody’s feet and not being respected? I know the feeling of being disrespected because I get customers at work (gas station) that are just down right rude by being on their phones while I try to complete their transactions.

That title should explain why I have not blogged all winter long. I just have been back and forth with this damned depression all winter. Losing the muse to blog and to do anything besides watch television.  So, my sincerest apologies. I would rather not blog while in a very emotional state and say negative things that will drive people away.  People enjoy reading about exciting things, not about myself whining 24/7 about my downer life. Won’t you agree?

I did have a new layout almost done in January but stopped. I just need to finish the header image and upload it. I will try my best to get it up this week. Maybe tomorrow after I drop my car off at the mechanic in the morning and ride the town bus back to my neighbourhood. I have a leaky brake line and you can see it leak on my rear right tire. I have no brake power and need to push all the way down to even slow down and stop. Very unsafe! After I get that fixed, then I can get my front crank oil seal leak looked at. Just have to do things one step at a time, you know.

I did have my 23rd birthday earlier this month. I did nothing special besides take it off from work and just chill. Dad got me new brake pads and rotors (found out a few days later that the auto store gave us the wrong sized parts…again; why always on my car they fuck up on?), some jelly doughnuts (because I don’t eat much for cake), some candy, a $17.50  hair salon gift card (I kept my hair cut simple because it was to a place I am not a big fan of) and a $45 nail spa gift card (I have yet to use it). My brother got me a new set of Skullcandy earbud headphones for my iPod touch. Then a few cards from family and friends in the mail. When you get older, you do not expect to celebrate much for birthdays…or so that is how I see it. Oh well.

Summer is here so I hope to finally get out of this rut I am in. After I finish cleaning my bedroom, from re-arranging my closet to be able to do more arts and crafts stuff, I can begin being more creative. Sewing, drawing and other pretty things. I should go get that taken care of after I pick Dad up from work soon (or maybe now since I have two more hours before I need to head out).  Please look forward to seeing me around here again!

Here are the goodies I picked up over the Black Friday weekend. All DVD/BluRays.  Oh, just to clear things up as to why I got 2 WWE 13 PS3 games (I went up to Walmart for the sales on certain $60 games for $25 and got the games) is because I am sending one copy out to my boyfriend in Puerto Rico. I have never watched any of these TV shows/movies before but I am confident with my selection PLUS it will keep me occupied over the cold winter season.

Here are the prices I paid for everything (because Black Friday is about getting the best deals xD): Seasons 1-4 of True Blood for $9.98 each (usually $30-60 each season set); 2 copies of WWE 13 for PS3 for $25 each (the game just came out on Halloween so it’s still new for $60); both Red Riding Hood Extended Cut and Sucker Punch Extended Cut Blu-Ray for $3.98 each (My PS3 plays both DVD and Blu-Ray); WWE The Rock 3-disc set for $5 (it was randomly in the $5 DVD bin at KMart o3o); Jack and Jill ($4.98), The Dark Knight ($1.98), Mega Mind ($4.98), Underworld: Awakening ($4.98; Just need Underwork: Rise of the Lycans to have the entire Underworld movies) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ($4.98) from Walmart. True Blood and WWE 13 also came from Walmart Thursday evening when I originally wet up there for the 8pm sales on the games. There were only 2 copies of WWE 13 there.  The rest seemed to have been new sports games or like newer First-Person shooter games.

This is a week late but I wanted to wait until I had enough time to sit down and write about it. Like they say, “Better late than never”.  Please bear with me because I know I am probably going to butcher this article.  I am still rusty on my ways of explaining things through typing.

Last week was Halloween for many but to Pagans, Wiccans and witches, we know is as Samhain (pronounced as Sow-een but it varies from tradition to tradition, person to person, etc.). This day hass roots that dates back thousands of years before Christianity came about.  Many people of the Celtic, Welsh and Druid traditions celebrated this ages and ages ago! I am not sure if other ancient people outside those I just mentioned did.  I need to really brush up on my studying. Samhain is considered the holiest of the Sabbats for many reasons. This is the sabbat where we honour our ancestors and lost loved ones (quite similar to the Mexican Dia de los Muertos).  We see the veils between our world and the world of those who passed the thinnest on this sacred night.  Many forms of divination are used to contact with those who passed such as Tarot cards (I suck at the cards lol), pendulums (I seem to be quite the natural at it), scrying mirrors, tea leaves, etc.

This is also the Witches’ New Year on the Wheel of the Year. This is a good time to start looking on your recent past and learn from it to help you better advance with your new year.  Since the veils are thinnest on our New Year, we use the divination methods I just spoke of to ask the spirits what to expect of our new year. This is when our last harvest ends and we shift over into our slower period of rest from the works of planting and harvest.  Many also hold what they call a “Dumb Supper” on Samhain.  After all your Samhain traditions and rituals, we would normally have a huge feast to celebrate the final harvest and honour the ancestors.  We would set up the dining area normally BUT also set up plates and stuff for those ancestors and offer them some food from the harvests we collected.

What do we place on our altar areas around this time?  Since it’s a time to honour those who passed, you may place photos of those loved ones, photo albums to recognize those loved ones who are still with us…honour your friends and family, no matter if they are here and gone.  Many have different items on their altars to represent the Sabbat itself.  Anything related to the autumn season (pine cones, fallen leaves from the trees, rocks/stones, etc.), any foods collected from the harvest (pumpkins, squash, corns, etc.).  Anything that personally represents you on Samhain is appropriate…but in the end, each altar is unique.  You can place what feels most appropriate and comfortable for you.

For more photos of my Samhain, please check them out: Samhain 2012.  I end this post with a silent, reflective video of my altar post-ritual.

Please excuse the poor image quality.  When I took these, my dad had my digital camera at the time.  I honestly didn’t feel like re-taking the photos after xD

I am usually good at finding all sort of goodies and deals when I head out.  This past week isn’t anything different.  K-Mart had a rack of clearance make-ups from the summer season for 10¢ each.  I got the last nine items.  Two liquid foundations (in my skin tone, too!), one liquid concealer and the rest in lip colours (most of them are the reds you see the women wear in commercials but I can re-purpose them for something else later).  I was in need of new liquid foundation so that amazing timing on my end.

Salvation Army (these were all gathered on different trips) offered me a good selection of goodies.  I, also, was in need of more eye brow pencils and found these CoverGirl ones (two in the package, brand new as well) for 55¢.  The smoothie cookbook looked interesting since I enjoy different smoothies and shakes every so often.  I believe that was $2.  And that eau du parfum I got is Avon’s Crystal Aura scent I got new for $4.95.  Nice and light, not strong like elderly women’s scent >< Goodwill has these two Revlon nail polishes in a purple and a peach shade for 50¢ each, along with the Pixi brand in the blue shade for 50¢. All new or barely used. Yesterday, I went to Younique Boutique (I rarely go here cos I find it way too pricey AND I am plus-sized so none of their clothing will fit) and got this cute black and white mini bag (I will use as a make-up bag and then use the make-up bag I got from Afef for Christmas, two years ago, for feminine products) on clearance for 75% off (went from $5.99 to $1.50; definitely my price) along with some pretty pink, crackle nail polish for $3.25.  I used to own black crackle polish I got for free on one of my hair salon trips but, unfortunately, I found it dried out even with the cap on. So this pink one is my only, current specialty polish.

Yup, that’s a case of outdated Sobe and SoBe LifeWater drinks in my closet.  How did I get this much for $7.50?  Well, at work, when we have outdated beverages from Pepsi, we have them buy them back from the store and we can personally buy it back to take home for $3 a case (a case varies on the product; these were 12 bottles a case).  One of my coworkers and I went half and half on the five cases of the beverages hence the $7.50 I paid.  I keep them in my closet as my secret stash away from Dad! xD

Other items I purchase, but was too lazy to take photos, were the Llewellyn’s 2013 Witches’ Spell-A-Day Almanac, a mini besom for my Hestia altar, some decorative faux pine cones for my altar and a nice rainbow checkered/plaid-like scarf.  I hope that I can eventually get a hold of the Sabbat Almanac from Llewellyn eventually because I would like to have it by Samhain.  If not, I can use the Internet or my other books for Samhain crafts and activities.  Until then, pray for me to finally go get me my new tires for my car (procrastination much? xD)!