Greetings darklings:
I’ve been in the Yuletide spirit lately! I have completed all my xmas shopping (my list of who to buy gifts for is short!). I have already decorated the tree, brewed a pot of simmering potpourri on the stove and wrapped gifts. I am going to try to be as eco-friendly as I can this holiday season. Here are some ways I have tried to be more eco-friendly-
- I bought only what I needed for baking, gift wrapping and decorating.
- I recycle, reuse and repurpose. For example, I often use, clean and reuse my mason jars.
- I use my Goth tree every year. I leave it up all year and decorate it for Yule when the holiday season arrives instead of killing a real tree.
- If I have leftover wrapping paper for gifts, I save it for the next holiday in the broom closet instead of throwing it away.
- I have saved any cedar, juniper or pine needles from last year to use this year in more simmering potpourri recipes.
- I have composted the herbs I used to make tinctures and herbal oils. They will eventually return to the soil next spring.
- I shopped local stores instead of shopping on Amazon.
- That kept the money in the local economy.
- I used the same tree decorations that I have always owned instead of buying new decorations I don’t really want.
- I attended the local Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas (fun!) and supported local artists and kept the money in the local economy.
- I foraged local herbs instead of buying. them online. That saves me money and lets me practice my foraging skills.
I live on a tight income. It’s better to help the local economy and shop locally rather than giving more money to Amazon, who doesn’t need it as badly. I certainly believe in that.
I have made more headway with the Arwen dress. I am almost done sewing the dress. I visited my Mom this weekend and we worked on the zipper and the sleeves. It feels so good to have that done. Now I can move on to the smaller though no less necessary projects for the dress. I want to sew the second collar to the bodice that goes with the dress. I want to sew a white trim onto the dress under the collar. I want to finish sewing the grey lace trim to the grey sleeve lining. Then I plan to snip any straggling threads and do a final check then it is time for the Grand Reveal! I have a lot of blue tricot knit fabric remaining. I may make a skirt or a shawl to go with the dress. I want to sew blue lace to the shawl too.
I bought green plain cotton fabric and a flannel green snowflake print fabric. I plan to sew a tablecloth with those fabrics. I bought green thread too. One fabric is plain and the other has a print. I will just hem them both and layer the printed material on top of the plain. If I want to, then I can use them for a different purpose any time of the year that way.
I’m drying pears in my dehydrator today. I will use the dried pears in a fun festive holiday drink. I hope to brew a few festive holiday drinks. I attended the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas event. I bought a lovely herbal tea, gifts for my friends and a mousepad, bookmark for me, a cauldron oil burner, an obsidian crystal ball for me, & a Witch’s broom. I had so much fun. I even signed Christmas cards but I can’t mail them with Canada Post. So sending the gifts/ prezzies to my friends is postponed. I hope they understand. I can’t do anything about the strike.
I can count on Amazon though. I am hosting my first ever book launch this month for my novel The Cult of the Spider People at Trident Cafe. The event occurs on December 18th. I hope there is a good turnout of people. I can’t wait to get to sign books. I have to promote my novel and let people know I am alive and exist and have a novel out.
Speaking of books, I picked up Jonathan Maberry’s book Shadows and Verse: Classic Dark Poems with Celebrity Commentary. I have always enjoyed poetry and so this book will make a great winter read this holiday season. He produces nothing but the best in poetry and fiction. I am sure the book will be a classic treasure for years.
I just came in from being in my backyard. I emptied the herbs that I used for making tinctures and oils into my compost tumbler. I turned the compost tumbler several times. That makes sure it will all be blended well. It will all hopefully turn into composted soil next spring for my garden. I left the Samhain pumpkin to compost right where my haskap bush used to be before that creep ruined my bush. I left the pumpkin there to add the nutrients to my haskap plant, which will hopefully grow back next spring.
Till next time, my dear readers
Blessings, Spiderwitch
