musings of a sea witch

With Joyful Abandon

2009-11-16T10:21:00.005-05:00

dive into your life! This child will be covered in leaves rich in autumn's colors and he will emerge laughing, shaking off a few leaves and will dive in all over again. Can you think of any better metaphor for life?

This photo makes me smile in a big way. What memories it invokes of my dad raking leaves into piles all over the yard (no blowers back then) and then pretending like he didn't want his three daughters messing them up by diving into them. We would laugh and giggle and roll around in them until our hair was full of nature. Dad would pretend to grumble that we wrecked his work and he would have to rake them all over again...always making a bigger and deeper pile for us to jump back into.

Even God's four-leggeds know a good time when they see it.

Go, find a pile of leaves and send nature fluttering all around you. Have a wonderful Monday. Sea Witch

100th Post Winner is...

2009-11-12T22:55:00.022-05:00

can you stand it? Who is the lucky winner of my 100th post drawing that my dog, Kota, selected by his cold, wet nose???? Why it is:

Catnip Studio

Whoo hoo, lots of horns, noisemakers, dogs barking, cats screeching, small children screaming with glee! Confetti dropping and cake for everyone! So Kathy of Catnip Studio, please send me your snail mail address via email and I will pack your goodies up and send them on to you. If you are not familiar with Kathy's blog, http://www.vintagecatnip.blogspot.com/, you must visit. This is one talented woman with a lot of oars in many seas as my hubby likes to say. It is her joy for life and her willingness to share her many talents with all of us through her blog that lured me to her site and kept me as a follower and a favorite. Congratulations Kathy!

The 100 post stash but wait, there's more!

I had a total of 93 entries and I thank all of you who left comments, became followers and noted my 100 post giveaway on your blog. You made this lots of fun for me and I enjoyed reading all of your comments.

Here is Kota sniffing out the names to pull.

And the winners are:

Catnip Studio (www.vintagecatpnip.blogspot.com)

Winners? Did you say winners?
Why, yes I did. As I added a few more goodies to the larder, I decided to pull 6 other entries and send you a sand and sea glass (mermaid's tears) in a tiny bottle necklace. I had made these while sailing in the Bahamas with my honey a few years ago and sold them all over the Abacos to the local shops there. Legend says that if you take some sand from your visit to a beach, that you will return one day. With this simple little necklace and the bottle of island sand hanging from it, I wish the wearer the opportunity to travel to the Bahamian island chain and enjoy their lovely beaches as I do. Here are those winners:

Brocantess (http://www.brocantess.blogspot.com/)
Deb Sea (http://www.dyingtobeyours.blogspot.com/)
Tracy (http://www.athomeontheridge.blogspot.com/)
Gypsy Purple (http://www.gypsypurple.blogspot.com/)
Barb (http://www.thefrenchelements.blogspot.com/)
Karen Valentine (http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/)

Ladies, please send me your snail mail via an email and I will have these wrapped and packaged to send to you. Excited to know that these are going all over the world, perhaps one day I will meet up with all of you as I adore travel.

The sand and the sea glass were all taken from Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahaamas. Kathy, you will also receive a necklace.

Closer look at that tiny bottle filled with Bahamian sand and sea glass.

Just a few more treasures I have tossed into the 100th post package. Sweet, ladies china hand ashtray...yes, I said ashtray....too pretty for nasty ashes but perfect for rings or hold some fresh lavender. A vintage millinery bouquet that I repurposed into a blazer pin. It will always be spring when you wear this. And the pretty little doily under both of them.

So, I thank everyone for participating in my 100th Post Giveaway. I enjoyed reading all of your comments and making new friends. Have a wonderful weekend and blessings to everyone...and Happy Friday the 13th! Sea Witch

Is that a Parrotfish on my header?

2009-11-12T07:15:00.019-05:00

Yes, I've switched out my header again. Just wasn't feeling the love with the spotted moray eel and needed a "lighter" feeling to the header, something more welcoming. What better way to welcome visitors then the sweet and funny face of a Parrot Fish. They have powerful jaws and teeth that look like the beak of a parrot. I adore these goofy looking, brilliant colored species with their parrot shaped beaks that give you the appearance of them grinning right at you.

To me they are the closest thing to swimming cartoons with their bright colors and funny faces. They are the most common and most colorful of species living on coral reefs around the world. All sizes and colors (I have seem some as big as a 50 pound dog), friendly and unafraid of divers, they will often follow you as you move around in their world. (photos enlarge when you click on them.)

Stoplight Parrotfish - male. Named for the brilliant yellow stoplight on its tail (pectoral fin).

A sex changing fish, the colors of the Stoplight parrotfish in the initial phase (below) when it could be either a male or female are dramatically different from when it is in the terminal phase (above) sporting brilliant colors when it is definitely a male.

Stoplight Parrot Fish either male or female in initial phase.

Princess Parrotfish with a cheeky grin. Always a brilliant blue and the face of my latest header.

Bi-color Parrotfish - male How can you not be passionate about this species with so many brilliant colors to choose from?

The parrotfish diet is primarily algae extracted from chunks of coral ripped from a reef. You can actually "hear" them crunching the coral while swimming with them. These coral crunchers pulverize the coral with the grinding teeth in their throat and most of the sand in their region is actually the ground up and undigested coral they excrete.

Wishing you a colorful day and thanks for stopping by. Sea Witch

Let Us Remember

2009-11-11T08:24:00.019-05:00

On this Veterans Day, let us honor all of those who have given their lives in the pursuit of freedom, thank those who have previously fought, and those who continue to protect us today.

Oxford University prominently displays a letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to a mother who lost five sons in the Civil War. Scholars in England claim that Lincoln’s letter provides a “model of the purest English, rarely, if ever, surpassed.”

On Nov. 21, 1864, President Lincoln wrote to the widow Lydia Bixby:

Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

You may recall hearing these words in the movie, "Saving Private Ryan." I cannot think of words truer that bring tears to my eyes, weight to my heart and thanks to my lips. Please join me in thanking a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine today for their commitment to this great country of ours and to what they give to the world.

Proud mother of a US Army Captain. Sea Witch

Christmas Booth Display

2009-11-10T10:14:00.014-05:00

Hello everyone. I have two big open houses on the same night this season so I'm running amuck trying to get as many holiday items in both locations as fast as I can. Of course, they need to have an appealing look to entice folks into my booths. I got started this weekend on my larger space at Queen of Hearts and after a lot of restructuring of pieces, got quite a lot of inventory in. Still, I have lots more to place as I like to have a really filled booth during these open houses.

A glass case filled and a farm table loaded with items.

The perfect gowns for the "new moon" movie to premiere next week are hanging in the corner.

Tree with vintage beaded ornaments from the 1960-70s.

I am crazy about this old farm table with its layers and layers of old paint. Neat little drawer in the center has original metal knob that is delightfully bent. I wonder how many home cooked meals were served on this table?

Antique wicker tiered server, mica house, depression glass green bowls, serving trays and more.

Channeling the Temptations or the Miracles...I adore this white linen and sequined tux from the Motown era. Hand made from a local tailor in Atlanta and original owner's name is sewn in the jacket.

Large gold leaf letters of the Child's message on a Victorian settee.

Love the old playpen and shutter on top that converts this into a functional buffet. Perfect for showing off you favorite holiday serving items.

This week, I add more to my Vintage Village booth. Will be drawing for my 100th post this weekend with the winner announced on Monday. You may still leave a comment to enter into the 100th post giveaway. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Sea Witch

100th Post and Buford Junction Antiques

2009-11-08T22:49:00.023-05:00

Whoo hooo, this is my 100th post!!!

I still can't believe that I have posted 100 thoughts,words, and photos and people actually came and stopped by to read them. What a terrific ride this has been so far. Now, if you have not already done so, please look at my 97th post to get a peak at the 100 post giveaway. I have actually added to it and those items will remain a surprise for the lucky winner. If you leave a comment you will be entered once, if you add yourself as a follower (or are already an existing follower AND leave a comment, you will be entered twice and if you leave a comment, are/become a follower AND mention this giveaway in your post, you will be entered three times.

In keeping with special posts, I am delighted to also share with you some photos of one of my favorite local antique shops, "Buford Junction Antiques"...just across the tracks. Buford Junction Antiques is owned and run by Linda...a delightful woman who you will instantly bond with. She has a smile a mile wide and very knowledgeable about the antique field. I met Linda five years ago and have made lots of purchases for myself and for resale. If you are ever in Buford, GA, then this shop is one not to be missed. (photos enlarge if you click on them)

Located next to the Buford Train Depot (and the train does come by several times a day with the rush of wind and the loud whistle, this shop has an inviting and comfortable front entrance.

You will often find Linda along with friends both new and old sitting out front and enjoying the day and good conversation. You can see how easy it is to want to visit here often...it's like meeting up with your neighbor for local gossip and good conversation.

Lots of garden and outdoor items abound. If you like garden pieces, this is an excellent place to shop and the prices are fantastic.

As you enter through the antique door into the shop, you are bombarded with so many wonderful antiques and for every decor imaginable.

Where to begin, so many wonderful things to look at...and purchase!

Pretty white deacons seat with drawers.

Lovely old french cupboard with original Prussian blue paint. One of my favorite pieces in the shop.

A saddle and antique stoneware jugs.

Whimsical blue stool and paper mache pumpkin.

Lovely pie safe.

A mantle full of pretty things and a wonderful Winter scene in an old frame.

Nice Bessie Pease Goodman print in original round frame.

A pile of soft and warm quilts with vintage axes. Calling Carrie Nation!

Besides these photos of what's inside the Buford Junction, there are two other rooms. Special rooms. One is the outdoor shed and it is a treasure trove of all things eclectic. The second room is the basement work space where Linda brings vintage pieces back to life and also designs and creates furniture commission. Linda is a true craftswoman and the pieces she creates are amazing. I can't say it enough, if you are in Buford, then you must stop by Buford Junction Antiques and say hello. Thanks for stopping by and for making my 100th Post so much fun. Sea Witch

99 and counting! ...and free tutorial courtesy of The Feathered Nest

2009-11-06T06:55:00.011-05:00

One more post after this one and I've hit my 100th post! If you haven't left a comment, please do and you will be entered in my 100th Post Giveaway. You can get a sneak peak at some of the giveaway treasures two posts below this one.

Now, I have two Holiday Open Houses to set up for and every spare minute has me slowing changing over my two booths. Just started on my largest one last evening and wanted to share some of the photos I took. So much to do and this is only the start. I need more time...the words spoken by every dealer at this time of the year.

Red and green is splashed everywhere, still so much to do.

Edwardian shoes and angel candlesticks.

Love the corner cupboard from an old farmhouse. So many decorating ideas.

Starting to fill in the shelves with holiday items.

Cowboy Christmas things.

Thanks for stopping by, I have to go price more holiday items now. Sea Witch

p.s. I was stopping in at my favorite sites and the delightful Dawn of The Feathered Nest just offered up a free tutorial on how to create a lovely gift box http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-gift-card-box-tutorial.html. Dawn is "uber" talented and you can purchase her delightful tutorials on her blog However, today, Dawn is offering this "box to gift box" tutorial for FREE. Click the link above and she will show you how to turn an ordinary box into something extraordinary. Just in time for the holidays!

100th Post Giveaway and Station Wagon Ducks

2009-11-05T09:24:00.010-05:00

First and foremost, I am 2 posts away from 100 and am excited to reach that milestone. Please leave a comment to be entered in the 100 post giveaway, if you follow my blog you will be entered a second time and if you mention the giveaway on your blog you will be entered a third time.

I woke up to a pair of mallards in my back yard this morning, something that I don't usually see in suburban Atlanta. Lots of Canadian Geese but not mallards. Seeing their swishing little tails and hearing their low quacks reminded me of a story I posted for Dances with Flowers http://danceswithflowers.wordpress.com/ back in July. She had taken to her bed with an illness and asked several of her blog friends to submit a story as a guest poster. Jennifer has a natural green thumb and all of God's flora truly dance for her. I submitted the below posting and I hope it puts a smile on your day and perhaps makes your laugh:

Jennifer has asked me, the Sea Witch, to be a guest poster of which I am shamelessly flattered. Having read two guest postings so far I feel I am a wildflower in a garden of orchids as these folks that I have been asked to follow behind are knowledgeable and passionate about plant life. My only “expertise” is that I love anything that Mother Nature so willingly gives us, and having spent many days watering my dad’s pair of personal greenhouses when he and Mom were on vacation.

My dad was a New York City boy, born and raised, but somewhere in his soul he had a horticulturist’s heart. He adored flowering plants and especially roses. I remember growing up in New Jersey, surrounded with the over 100 different rose varieties and colors that dad tended to and nurtured around our yard. When the flowering season began, our yard would smell like a perfume counter. The heady scent of roses was everywhere.

Dad was also obsessed with the Jackson and Perkins contest for nurturing the perfect white rose and spent years trying to cultivate a pure white rose, but never quite accomplishing that because deep in the center there always remained a gentle hue of lilac.

When we were transferred to Minnesota in 1966, attempting to nurture flowering plants in a short, 6-week summer season was frustrating. So Dad turned to water plants, as we had a huge pond in our back yard. All I remember is that I had my own pond which meant I could swim in the summer, skim rocks and fish all year long and skate on the frozen water in the winter… even then, always a child of the sea… my mom used to say I would find a water world in a rain puddle. Dad wanted mallard ducks for the pond so he grabbed my sisters and me and we piled into the 1966 family station wagon and headed off to a duck farm.

Dad purchased 6 female ducks and 2 males. Being a “city boy”, he thought it was a perfectly sound decision to put one daughter up front and the other two in the back seat and then put the ducks in with us. Hey, how bad could this ride be as it was only 8 miles to the house? The minute Dad turned the engine on the ducks began flying all over the inside of the car. The quacking noise was deafening and this transplanted city family learned firsthand what happens when ducks get nervous.

Dad set land-speed records in getting us back to the house with my two younger sisters crying and screaming at the top of their 6 and 10 year old lungs… which did nothing to soothe the mood of the frightened ducks. The minute we pulled in the driveway, I opened the door and the ducks flew out and ran to the pond, quacking loudly and anxious to settle into their new digs.

My mom heard the commotion, came out of the house and looked at her ducksh*t and feather covered and crying daughters, turned to my dad and said, “Paul, what the hell did you do to the girls?” At the grownup age of 12, I recognized how funny that sounded and how we looked and I began laughing — which only made my sisters wail louder. All my dad could do is turn the outside water on and hose us and the car down. Needless to say, we city folk never picked up ducks in a station wagon again.

Have a wonderful day and watch out for station wagon ducks. Sea Witch

100th Post Give Away Sneak Peak

2009-11-03T07:28:00.018-05:00

What to give away, what to give away? I'm 3 posts away from 100 and very excited. It feels like I just began this blog yesterday and not so long ago on a Friday, April 24th, 2009. My first blog, motivated by a girlfriend's blog, contained no pictures, only words. http://musingsofaseawitch.blogspot.com/2009/04/and-she-blogs.html

It was like jumping into the ocean deep, would people read what I posted? Would I have anything to say? Would what I say have any value to me or to the reader? I took a deep breath and said to myself, "Go to it girl, at least you will have one constant reader...yourself." What I received was unexpected. I have reaped friendships, far reaching and wide. So many talented folks out there and you have all blessed me in so many ways. I've never looked back and have enjoyed every minute of it. So on to the give aways:

A hardbound copy of Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews. You gotta love the adventures of an antique dealer looking for love and the perfect acquisition all in Savannah, Georgia.

An ice cream scoop worthy of a Sea Witch with a pretty shell handle.

A Sea Witch designed necklace wrought from faceted adventurine beads, Swarovski crystals, 14k dipped seed beads and a hand blown center bead by my lovely stepdaughter.

Looks good so far, but wait, there's more!

I'm crazy about beautiful ribbons and trims. This is a one yard strip of a silk, rayon lame tapestry ribbon with tiny mirrors embroidered on it. So many uses.

Christmas is just around the corner and everyone can always use another Christmas stocking (or sock as we say up north). Sea Witch made, this is gro-grain taffeta in the color of the sea and hand embellished with antique lace, kicky little tassels and tiny bugle beads.

An assortment of pastel scrapping papers for your altered art or mixed media work.

So that is the start of my 100th post giveaways. There is more to be added over the next day or two. Leave a comment on this posting and you will be entered in the 100th post giveaway. Mention the 100th post giveaway on your blog and you will be entered twice. Become a follower on my blog and you will be entered again. I want to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog since its beginning. You have all made this such a wonderful experience for me. Sea Witch

Vintage Village is turning holiday & I'm four shy of 100 posts

2009-11-01T21:44:00.020-05:00

This is my favorite time of the year at Vintage Village. We are all preparing for the Candlelight Open House that will run on the evening of November 18th and 19th and then carry through Sunday, the 22nd. Dealers out do themselves decorating and bringing in their best to offer to our customers and the prices are always affordable. So below are a few pics of what is in the shop now BEFORE the Open House. These items will all be complimented by lots of holiday pizazz shortly.

You may view videos of last year's Candlelight Open House at this link: http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/openhouse.html. Please allow a few moments for the page to load as it contains three short videos but they still need a moment to cache.

On another note, I just realized that this is my 96th post. Where did the time go? I can't believe tha I am 4 posts aways from 100 posts. I will have to start putting together my 100th post giveaway TONIGHT. Look for photos in my next post. Have a wonderful Monday. Sea Witch

It's chaos, I tell you, chaos.

2009-10-30T07:07:00.011-04:00

Can you believe it???

That Thanksgiving is 27 days away and that Christmas follows 31 days after that. I have two Holiday Open Houses during the week of November 19th and my living room looks like a Christmas warehouse that threw up in it. Vintage and holiday items are strewn everywhere. It's a good thing my honey is up at deer camp hunting with his friends or I may have lost him among the garland and snowmen.

It always amazes me how a room full of "stuff" can come together in a booth. Just last week, I was stepping over harvest items and yet, it all pulled together as shown in this pic of a 1930's play pen repurposed as a buffet by laying an old shutter (also from the 1930s) on top of it.

So, as if I don't have enough to do, I stop in the middle of all of this to put together a new header for my blog. This shot is of a Spotted Moray Eel who was nested next to a huge spiney sea urchin. Those are the large, knitting needle size spines you see next to him. These creatures are as beautiful as they are frightening looking. As long as this is a mixed bag of blog conversation, why not close with a pic of me at work today. I knew it was going to be nutz here as it is on every Friday, so why not wear a "little" mask to break the hectic pace.

Have a safe and fun Halloween if you celebrate and for for those of us who are under Daylight Savings time, remember to roll back your clocks this weekend. Sea Witch

Sky blue pink.

2009-10-29T06:58:00.008-04:00

When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell my sisters and I that her favorite color was “skyblue-pink.” My love affair with a box of Crayolo 64 crayons (with sharpener on the box), as a child, told me that skyblue-pink wasn’t a color. But mom would say that if I would watch the sky, God would provide that color magically before my eyes.

Mom was always right and I was witness to skyblue-pink in the sky many times throughout my life.

My honey and I had just checked into our room at a hotel in Conway, New Hampshire for the evening. We had spent a marvelous day driving and walking all over the White Mountains. The leaves were turning and the air was cool and crisp…typical of fall in New England. I had stepped outside to get my knitting from the car when the color, skyblue-pink was painted across the early evening sky. Smiling, I thanked Mom and our Creator for giving me this amazing canvas and I watched until the sun had set as the colors intensified and then bled together into a dusky blue.

Such majesty in the world and all given to us so freely. Sea Witch

White Shell Wednesday or a dress fit for a

2009-10-28T07:04:00.005-04:00

Sea Captain's daughter, a mermaid or perhaps even a Sea Witch!

Part of the exhibit of "ladies" items at the Maritime Museum in Salem, MA. This sea shell encrusted dress looks like an offering straight from Project Runway and their found objects challenge. This seemingly size 14 beauty is encrusted with cowries, periwinkles and tiny clam shells all resembling bead work. I especially like the use of row after row of cowrie shells on the sleeves giving it the illusion of ruched silk. This really is the ultimate Sailor's Valentine and I can share that this "Sea Witch" was dying to try this on no matter what the weight of this dress felt like.

Have a lovely White Wednesday and just a reminder that we turn our clocks back this Sunday, November 1st.

Sweet Baxter has crossed over.

2009-10-26T15:49:00.012-04:00

Baxter the Therapy Dog, a San-Diego-area Chow/Lab mix who spent years providing care and comfort to humans at the end of life, died last Friday at the age of 19. After a puppyhood of abuse, Baxter grew up to become a certified therapy dog and enjoyed fame and fans worldwide for his years of volunteer work at San Diego Hospice, where he spent time cuddling, licking faces, and providing smiles for people in hospice care.

You may want to silence the music playing by going to the bottom of this blog page and clicking the playist off so you can hear the video of Baxter

He even became the subject of an award-winning book: "Moments with Baxter: Comfort and Love From the World's Best Therapy Dog." Many of those who knew Baxter believe that it was his own ailments that made him such a powerful companion to hospice patients. The arthritis that plagued him during the latter half of his life left him unable to walk. His owner, Melissa Joseph, helped him carry out his duties at the hospice by pulling him around in a cart and carrying him to patients' beds. (article found at PawNation and written by Rose Martelli)

And one more wonderful story about the love animals give us so freely. This is from my good friend "Whimsical Chick," you can visit her blog at: http://awhimsicalchick.blogspot.com/

The Doberman is pregnant. The fireman had just saved her from a fire in her house,rescuing her by carrying her out of the house into her front yard, then he continued to fight the fire. When he finally got done putting the fire out, he sat down to catch his breath and rest. A photographer from the Charlotte , North Carolina News- paper, noticed the dog in the distance looking at the fireman. He saw the Doberman walking straight toward the fire fighter and wondered what she was going to do. As he raised his camera, she came up to the tired man who had just saved her life and the lives of her unborn babies and kissed him just as the photographer snapped this photograph.

Such sweetness from God's creatures. St. Francis reminds us "Not to hurt our humble brethren [the animals] is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it."

May we all be kind to each other and freely assist those who are in need. Sea Witch

House of the Seven Gables

2009-10-22T23:15:00.013-04:00

Two of my favorite books are House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America's greatest authors. (on a personal note, I believe The Scarlett Letter to be one of the great reads of literature offered to humanity. If we are honest, we can find a piece of ourselves in all of the main characters both good and bad, and hopefully have pulled lessons from them as well.) Having the opportunity to visit the Hawthorne's birthplace and the actual House of the Seven Gables was a real treat for me.

Nathaniel Hathorne, born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts later changed his name to "Hawthorne", adding a "w" to dissociate from relatives including John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials. His writings center around New England and many works features moral allegories with Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the dark romantic movement and his themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and usually have a moral message.

Statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem Square.

Entrance to the House of the Seven Gables or as it is known in Salem, The Turner-Ingersoll Mansion. From the year 1668 up until the present day, the House of the Seven Gables has been one of the most famous structures in America.

"Half-way down a by street of one of our New England towns, stands a rusty wooden house with seven acutely peaked gables facing toward various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst." Hawthorne’s opening sentence to his novel The House of the Seven Gables manifests his fascination with the Turner-Ingersoll mansion.

The mansion built by Captain John Turner stood out on the Salem seacoast as a symbol of wealth, but also a construction that produced awe and wonder. Turner’s mansion was an object of interest for Captain Ingersoll, who years later bought the house. Captain Ingersoll capitalized on the house’s waterfront location, where he conducted his trade during the Age of Sail.

The history of the House of the Seven Gables is incredible. It only stands now due to one woman and her vision; Salem philanthropist Caroline Emmerton. She purchased the building, which, at that time, had only three gables, and hired Joseph Everett Chandler, a preservation architect, to restore it and interpret Hawthorne’s novel inside its rooms. In fact, the house only had three gables when Nathaniel Hawthorne knew it; the recollection of seven gables he immortalized came from his cousin’s youthful memories. This room is the only photo we could take indoors and is of the Settlement House (one room) that Caroline Emmerton built to "help new immigrants settle into American life."

The back door of the Turner-Ingersoll house is beautifully reproduced from the original door and is constructed in the "Batten" setup. (a small piece of the original door can be seen in the attic of the home).

The Batten door on the outside is decorated with scribe marks in a diamond pattern and tacks.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a relative of the Ingersoll family and kept in contact with his cousin Susanna. From his visits to see Susanna, Hawthorne was also awestruck by the mansion and became inspired to write a novel based on the house.

Even this tree takes on a haunting look with the grey sky on this damp, wet morning.

The House has taken on some characteristics that are described in Hawthorne’s book. The secret stairwell that is mentioned in The House of the Seven Gables was an addition to the house in the early 1900s. The tour of the house will allow you to climb the hidden staircase behind the fireplace, but the trip up is not recommended for people known to be claustrophobic.

Another renovation was made to the house to make it more compatible to the house that Hawthorne depicts, is the shop that is opened by Hepzibah Pyncheon in The House of the Seven Gables. Hepzibah is forced from poverty to open up a small store, even at her old age. She was once a highly dignified person, who is now relegated to selling things out of her house to support herself.

The character of Hepzibah strikingly resembles another Hawthorne character, Hester Pryne of The Scarlet Letter. Hester was also at a loss for dignity because of her adultery and resorted to selling her embroidery work out of her house as a means to support herself and her young child.

Illustrated as looming, dark and mysterious in the novel, the house nonetheless has light, even romantic features. Its period gardens are charming, and the granite seawall running along the property provides a perfect perch to look over a calm, blue ocean that is filled with historical ships of different sizes.

The Counting House built in 1830 is typical of the small buildings in which sea captains completed much of their business. This was a place to balance accounts, pay fees due, and figure profit before or after a sea journey. It is believed that Hawthorne first developed the idea for the Scarlett Letter while in the counting house.

Lovely view from the counting house. This is a sea captain's view and certainly an artist's view as well. Just looking out the window on the cold rainy day invoked inspiration. The muses were about when I looked out the window; how they must have teased Hawthorne as his most notable works were all borne from this location.

Rolling hills of green? Look closely and you will see that this is moss.

This rich, thick moss with its bright green color was growing on the north face of the roof. Loved the color as it stood out so brightly from the dark colonial paint of the clapboards.

Hawthorne's birth and childhood home. Much smaller then the Turner-Ingersoll home, but just as lovely inside. I adore this architectural period and could easily live in any of these lovely old homes found in Salem.

Old fashioned gate closure. Chain and a weighted ball. When you open the gate to leave, no need to close it as the weight of the lead ball will close it for you. This was a lovely visit to this historical home. I wish I could have taken interior photos, but you will have to take a visit yourself one day. I hope to return again when the weather is better and see what the grounds look like with sunlight. I'm sure it is just as lovely. I have lots of photos from this New England trip and hope to post several from my visit to the Maritime Museum not far from this home. It was fabulous. Have a lovely weekend. Sea Witch

White Shell Wednesday - What is this made from?

2009-10-21T06:34:00.007-04:00

Can you see it? What is this hard clam shell made from? If you look closely, you will find that it is constructed entirely of tossed away cigarette butts. This huge, hard clam was part of the Trash to Treasure exhibit at the Maritime (Endicott Peabody) Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. One of their side exhibits offered sculptures made from recycled items and trash. This clam shell was almost 5 feet by 5 feet by 2 feet and was constructed entirely of tossed away cigarette butts. (first two photos will enlarge if you click on them)

The detail is amazing.

The likeness of the hard clam was spot on.

The common hard clam, also known as a quahog (or quahaug), round clam, or simply chowder clam is an edible mollusk which is native to the eastern shores of North America. It is one of many unrelated edible bivalves which in the USA are frequently referred to simply as clams.

Fishmarkets have specialty names for different sizes of this species of clam with the smallest clams called countnecks, next size up are littlenecks, then topnecks. Above that are the cherrystones, and the largest are called quahogs or chowder clams.

In coastal areas of New England, raw bars specialize in serving littlenecks and topnecks raw on an opened half-shell. Littlenecks are often found in-the-shell in sauces, soups, stews, "clams casino" or substituted for European varieties such as the cockle in southern European seafood dishes. The largest clams, quahogs or chowders and cherrystones (with the toughest meat), are used in such dishes as clam chowder, clam cakes and stuffed clams.

Thick, rich and creamy, clam chowder is stick to the ribs, home cooking and this bowl of local clam chowder was thick enough to stand a spoon in the middle of it and on the cold, damp day I ordered it, warmed the "cockles of my heart".

So this was an unusual white shell Wednesday as it had a touch of "green." Sea Witch

RavenWood Curio Shoppe, Jackson, NH

2009-10-18T17:04:00.022-04:00

One of the marvelous things about traveling is finding that unique little shop which is so unexpected and within lies wondrous things. RavenWood Curio Shoppe in Jackson, NH, nestled next to the Jackson Fire Station, is just one of those gems. Jackson, a nice, cross country ski community and close to White Mountain ski slopes, is where RavenWood can be found. I passed this shop the evening before and it was ablaze with tiny lights which cast a lovely juxtaposition of light and shadows and I knew I had to come back to investigate the following day.

The courtyard is filled with garden art, sculptures, and wind chimes of all sizes. Nearly all are created by local artisans and for hand crafted pieces, the prices are more than fair.

Delightful rust patinaed sunflowers welcome you into the courtyard. These stood almost 6 feet tall.

So many suns, so hard to choose, but my personal favorite is the turquoise sun above.

Unique art glass and pottery abound.

What I love about RavenWood are the antiques that are found in nooks and crannies all nestled between artisan pieces. A lovely marriage of old and newly created.

These adorable metal bats hang from shelving units. I meant to purchase one of them before we left for our trip to Cathedral Ledge. I did find a wonderful gift for my sister here so I did not leave empty handed. Still, I wish I had grabbed one of those bats.

Fell in love with these unique coffee/tea cups. Dragon claws hold the cup and if you look inside, you will find a claw piercing the mug. So clever. My favorite mug is the turquoise one. Perfect for a Sea Witch.

Behold, the dragon's claw.

Lovely metal ware and a nice gong. See the pretty mermaid on the wall?

Such an unusual theme for a stain glass piece..birch trees frame the birch bark canoe. Lovely copper foiled piece.

These wind chimes have the sweetest sound and are all recycled bottle glass that has been through an acid bath to give them a sea glass finish.

I love these repurposed clocks made from vintage aluminum ice trays, found objects and yes, diskettes.

Look at this wonderful computer board clock. Such a clever and contemporary use of obsolete circuit boards.

Looking down from the second floor, so many wonderful things to see and purchase.

And one more delightful clock before I end this blog. How clever, a pretty carriage made of found objects becomes an extraordinary mantle clock.

I know I have placed a lot of photos in this posting, but the few that I have shown only give you a taste of this marvelous little shop. I know I will visit this lovely area again in the future, and will have to figure out how to bring home one of the large garden wind chimes I found all over the grounds. Thank you RavenWood for so freely allowing me to snap so many pictures of the many talented artisans work found within. Sea Witch

"There is a harmony in autumn, a lustre in its sky -- Percy Bysshe Shelley

2009-10-17T22:13:00.022-04:00

So much to share that it will take several blogs. This has been a wonderful trip with my honey. He has been taking me all around his boyhood haunts and some of his favorite locales. The following are photos taken around the White Mountains, New Hampshire and the lovely little community of North Conway, NH. Rather than put narrative under each photo, I thought I would let the colors speak for themselves. (not sure why the first 5 will not enlarge. The remaining photos do if you click on them...looks like I have more blog geek work to learn)

So much beauty in this country. We are truly blessed. Sea Witch

A Sea Witch in New England

2009-10-14T20:45:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone, this Sea Witch is taking some mandatory PTO (paid time off) and have flown to Boston to tour this lovely historical city with my honey and to take in a day at Salem...a village that I have always wanted to visit, especially the House of the 7 Gables...one of my favorite books by Nathaniel Hawthorne, notable American author.

I hope to have some pics up this weekend, forgot to pack my card reader so I will have to find a cheapie replacement while I'm up here to post some photos of this lovely part of the country.

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with New England, I just liked it. Have a swimmingly wonderful day. Sea Witch

Got a little silly

2009-10-13T09:01:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I did get a little silly. I tricked out my "little friend" the shark in his favorite Halloween mask of Hello Kitty along with a dye job of Candy Corn on his menacing dorsal fin. Hey, sharks just want to have some Halloween fun too!

Found this photoshopped pic of a cat in a dive suit with fins, tank and mask. Had to post it just to show that I'm not the only silly one who likes to trick out their favorite pets in weird costumes. So is this really the proverbial "cat fish"? Have a great Tuesday. Sea Witch

Halloween at Vintage Village

2009-10-12T07:04:00.011-04:00

Yes, Halloween has arrived with its pumpkins, and autumn leaves, ghosties, and more and it can all be seen at Vintage Village http://vintagevillageantiquesandmore.com/. This is such a fun holiday that the entire family can get involved in from decorating the home, making their costumes and planning a party or two. No longer just for kids, this holiday really is a family affair. The dealers at Vintage Village always have something for neat for Halloween and the fall decorating schemes; I hope you enjoy a few of these photos and you can always visit their website at the link above.

A spooky entrance from one of my favorite dealers at Vintage Village. Lynn has an enviable talent for decorating just right. Her prices are also a "steal" as I almost always walk out with something I must purchase.

Set your table with lots of fall color.

This hard to find copper boiler is a gem for holding cold drinks, displaying your favorite yarns or decorating with a witch bowl.

How clever. Black and white frames with vintage postcards and pretty ribbons.

Autumn truly is here and this pretty sign heralds the season.

My Vintage Heart, another favorite booth of mine never fails to please. she has married up crows with antique transfer ware and a ladies thunder mug.

How clever are these delightful pumpkins made from old canning jars. This dealer took tissue paper and Mod Podge's it to the outside, decorated with spooky faces and inserted tiny white lights for a creative and spooky display. You can use them as Halloween luminaries as a decorative way to invite your trick or treaters right to your front door.

I hope you enjoyed these few pictures of Vintage Village and stop by if you are in the area. We are always happy to see you. Sea Witch

Honest Scrap Award - Me Me Me

2009-10-08T21:22:00.028-04:00

I am excited and so appreciative to have received my first blog award from Sandy and Joe at Rhubarb Reign http://rhubarb-reign.blogspot.com/ . Rhubarb Reign is one of my favorite blog spots and one day, I hope to meet Sandy and Joe at one of their shows. Who knows, it could happen. Well on to the award, I have been bestowed with the Honest Scrap Award.

The Honest Scrap Award states that I must share 10 things about myself that not many people know, and then must select 7 other bloggers to be so honored. So here goes:

1. I have moved 19 times in my life. 17 of those relocations were part of a 29 year marriage to a DOD employee. I'm a natural born gypsy and am always looking forward to my next adventure.

2. I wore a pair of white hot pants under my high school graduation gown. Hey, it was 1972 and navy tights and white hot pants were all the rage.

3. My baby sister and I can get to laughing so hard that we become a quivering mass of shaking and cannot speak as we gulp for air. When we do speak, all we say, is "Stop, it hurts" and continue laughing.

4. I went skydiving at age 19 and was one of the first 10 women to jump out of plane at a southern jump school's location in 1973.

5. As a teenager, I wanted to be a backup dancer for Tina Turner. Hey, we all have our big dreams.

6. I lived in Taejon, South Korea for 3 and half years and took a weekly, Korean aerobics class. I was one of 3 other American women in a class of locals. It was hilarious and fun.

7. I belonged to a 4-H group in New Jersey; the name of our group was, The Eager Beavers...yes, that really was the name. We sewed tea towels and aprons enthusiastically in the 1960s.

8. As a little girl, I and some school buddies were rescued from a hurricane storm in a Mr. Softee truck. Mr. Softee let us eat ice cream all the way home.

9. I can still get into my wedding dress from 1975...as long as I don't have to pull it up over my knees.

10. I am a crack shot with an air rifle and used to shoot the Christmas lights off the floating tree in our pond in Minnesota.

So enough about me and here are 7 blogs that I enjoy and follow and would like to know a little bit more about the posters so I bestow the Honest Scrap Award to:

Cute n Cool Blog Accessories - incredible backgrounds and thingies and all FREE for the taking.

1893 Victorian Farmhouse - love reading about this home's renovation

A New England Life - Gifted photographer, you will love her posts.

Appears no different from a galloping horse - how can you not love this blog name

Javajune's Blog - another talented and gifted photographer and woman who takes words and makes you soar.

A Whimsical Chick - a dear friend and antique buddy. She is new to blogging but her heart shouts through.

Ticklish from a Distance - recently discovered this blog, a sweet soul lives here.

So go and visit these blogs if you are not familiar with them. They will enrich your lives. Sea Witch

Afternoon with the Queen

2009-10-07T20:23:00.024-04:00

It has been a month since I launched my booth space at the Queen of Hearts Antique Mall in Buford, GA and I am thoroughly delighted with being there. It's hard work trying to maintain two spaces and a full time job and all of my extracurricular activities that I often feel like I have stretched myself way to thin, but I have no regrets. I so adore the antiques business and my new space that I wanted to share a snapshop of some of my favorite booths at the Queen; which was hard to do because there are so many that I adore. Many of these booths are set up like a gallery or a fully decorated parlor, country kitchen, cottage beach bedroom or sitting room. This is a wonderful place for ideas.

Now this is a Halloween display. Everything is black, white and silver. Really invites you into the store as this is smack in the middle as you walk in the main entrance.

I couldn't end this posting without at least one picture of my space...the last photo in this group. I hope you enjoyed these unique spaces and if you ever have the opportunity to come to Buford, Georgia, please make the Queen of Hearts a stop.

Incoming, Outgoing

2009-10-06T07:05:00.014-04:00

Let's start with the incoming...the good stuff, the wonderful things that arrive via snail mail from blogger friends. Those marvelous souls you have met through blogs and they become part of your daily routine. You must visit their blogs, you cannot help yourself and you are a richer individual because of them.

I was a winner of a Catnip Studio giveaway, my first. (you must checkout her latest header in her sepia series. Delightful! http://catnipstudio.blogspot.com/) Well via snail mail, I received a lovely sepia toned, gift tag full of dimension with a sweet little tassel made by Cat Nip. I love it and I'm thinking of displaying in under glass like you would a butterfly specimen.

The giveaway did not stop with the lovely butterfly tag. No, inside a white envelope tied off with pretty turquoise eyelash yarn were three notecards selected perfectly for a Sea Witch. Rich blue tones of mermaids in their element. I haven't decided what to do with them yet, so many possibilities other than notecards. Thank you, Catnip Studio, for a lovely giveaway.

Now for outgoing! I finally got around to finishing the two "car seat" blankets for the twins. I utilized soft fleece with tiny stars on a field of maize. Then I selected a nice salmon pink in the softest chenille imaginable and then the same type of fabric in mint green. These new fabric chenille's are like velvet they are so soft. The car seat blankets along with other new baby items and big sister present were packed into two large boxes and shipped to Italy where my son, his lovely wife, big sister Kit Kat and the newest arrivals reside.

My to do list is still longer than I like it to be, so I'm slowly working on that right now. Have yet to get to my jewelry making and am still working on the second blog...dare I even say that I want it to go live this weekend? We shall see. Sea Witch

How lovely is this sound?

2009-10-05T08:26:00.007-04:00

Such joy and all created graphically with a musical track added. I love things like this. You may want to turn off the background music I have running at the bottom of this page...just scroll down and click the double bars. Have a joyful Monday. Sea Witch