Sunday, December 28, 2008

More Holiday Fun

*Don`t forget to turn the music off!!!*

Our Christmas night was so good! We usually have a lot of presents because everybody gives at least one gift for each other member of the family(although some years were hard and only the kids could get them, but the fun and love were the same). We never cared for expensive gifts, just things that showed our love and care. This year was over the top though, because even our older nieces and nephews wanted to give somthing for everybody. That`s why the tree looks so piled up!


Since my older siblings were little kids, my mom has the habit of taking the children to one of the bedrooms while gathering the presents under the tree, then someone would say "ho ho ho!" with a deep voice and the door wuold be opened and we, kids, would see what Santa left for us. Mom still does so, and Lucas, Maria Clara and Bruna (the oldest grandchild, who was sick, porr sweetie, but she`s fine now) could hardly wait to see the magic once more.

It was a beautiful night, with joy, laughter, fun and a little prayer for our Dede. My mother`s sound of laughter was priceless.


Tomorrow we are going to Minas Gerais at 1 pm. It will take me some time to have Internet connected, so I`ll be offline. I`ll get online once or twice a week at a lan house as soon as possible, though, in the meantime, to post photos showing how things are going and how the house`s construction is progressing.

Thank you all very much for the lovely words of support! I do wish you all a wonderful New Year night, and I hope we keep our friendship along the next year and further more. See you soon!!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Holiday Fun

*Sorry for the "imposing" song at the slideshow! It came like that and I only noticed it after posting. But you can turn it off by clicking on the trumpet on the left of the slide window!*


After some days of heavy rain and tonsilits, we are finally truly enjoying our vacations. Last Sunday the sun showed up in all its glory, and we went with my older brother Arnaldo and my little niece Maria Clara to enjoy the Crystal Palace and its holiday decoration, to take photos. Then, we went to Santos Dumont's house, the airplane creator, where we took some more photos - they loved the crazy stairs!


It was a good way to celebrate the solstice, under a beautiful weather! In the evening, I lit a candle, said a little prayer and that was it. Lucas was already asleep, exhausted after the long dy of fun. I hope you all had a wonderful Yule night, and tomorrow night you have a sweet Christmas among the ones you love!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

In rainy Petropolis...

Hello, everybody!!  This mountain city is under water! Gods, it`s unbelievable how non-stop this rain is right now! Oh, I miss you guys! I miss visiting your pages and talking to you. But here we are in Petopolis, at mom`s, spending great days, our first real vacations for years! On Friday, my Rodrigo went to Minas Gerais with his dad, who came to fetch him and Baruck - who was a chapter apart, how hard it is to make a cat to get into a travelling box?! Poor cat, he was so stressed and frightened that it took us almost one hour to make him simply enter that damn box. He was meowing as if the worst spirit was trying to possess him... But in the end he calmed down, with his favorite lion toy and blanket. Rodrigo said he`s doing fine and adapting well to his new place.
On Saturday my aunt Sandra took me and Lucas to Petropolis, with tons of luggage, among clothes, personal articles, toys, my magick stuff, handcraft things... It is really good to be here at my mom`s house. This is the very first time I can stay more than five days straight (we`ll go to Minas on the 29th), due to my tight working schedule. The only negative note is that, with the drastic change of weather (and life), as Rio is rainy but hot, and here is so chilli and rainy as well, Lucas got his old tonsilits back, and the fever is haunting him since Sunday. But medicines are being given and his mood is great, he loves being here with his fun grandma.
I already set a little altar on my bedside table, and while I chat and "gossip" with my mom and brother Evaldo, I take the time to make little witches for Carioca Witch and some handmade gifts for my relatives. The Summer Solstice ins approaching and I`ll have to make something discreet to celebrate, since my family is catholic and you know... They respect my choices but I wouldn`t feel comfortable celebrating the sabbath like I do at home. Oh well, I`ll find something to do at our bedroom, lit a candle and thank the coming warm season.
I just wanted to let you know how things are doing. I hope you are doing fine, in good health and good spirits. I`ll be back as soon as I can. Take good care and keep me posted too about you!!
Bright blessings & kisses from us.

PS: Oh, and don`t forget to stop by the great 2Witches quartely giveaway! They`re offering one of my Goddesses this week! Take your chance if you like it! ;o)

Monday, December 8, 2008

Blessed I am





All I can say is that you, my friends, keep spoiling me... But I promise that I'll spoil you all back soon! LOL
This time was my dear friend Dragonstar, who sweetly sent me these beautiful gifts for the Pay it Forward! A gorgeous calendar with breathtaking Irish landscapes that will be proudly hanged in my NHTB (new house-to-be), a cool shamrock magnet promptly placed by Lucas at our fridge's door - of course - two awesome postcards, and this cute red dragon for Lucas. He loved it so much he wanted it to be placed over his bed's head, along with his dreamcatcher! The day after he took it for school for the Brazilian show-and-tell's version.


No thanks will be enough, Miss Dragon! I always considered my life as blessed with love and care, but the blogland gave this notion a new dimension.
Blessed be!

Friday, December 5, 2008

A beautiful gift

Rodrigo decided giving my Christmas gift in advance, after watching me drool over this gorgeous candle holder from Turtleheart's Into the Dawn Etsy shop for days. It's a lovely piece of handcraft so well-done and appealing with these sweet color shades that I couldn't resist.
It will be delivered to my mom's place, can't wait! It's our first purchase using Carioca Witch's sale profits (*breathing deeply & proudly* ;o) She has many other fantastic items that worth a attentive look, I get lost there.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

These wonderful friends

Last Friday I had another beautiful surprise at the mail. Seems like Christmas arived earlier to me these days. Today I could finally post them here.






First I got a mail from Blue with a beautiful postcard of her historic city (Lucas tried to find the statues there!) and a fun, great book with photos of Oxford's gargoyles for Lucas. He loved turning the pages with dad paying attention to each detail of the gargoyles - he's not afraid of the faces, much the opposite, he laughed and chose his favorites!




She also sent me this gorgeous, elegant cat statue that is now honouring our shelf, she knows I love black cats! ;) Thank you so much, sweet Blue, I know how long you were trying to make these gifts get to Lucas' hands! They arrived just in time! :o)

***

On the same afternoon another package came to me, from Holly. She offered me some time ago to send me a batch of wools for my crafts, which I happily accepted. Now imagine my surprise when I found out that, along with the wonderful wools, there were also delicate beads for crafting, and cool little gifts for my little witch, (below having fun at challenging his brains to work when building the fun Z-cars):
She even sent her priceless prim cats! For those who don't know, my Etsy prim cats' patterns are based on her great creation, that I got at her former Skullblossom blog - so they have a special meaning to me - thank you, Holly, you're a sweetie!:



I feel very thankful and blessed to have such friends here. That's why I say that everyone on my blogroll is there for a special reason. All of you are sweet, strong, fun, crazy and great individuals who bring light to my life in many ways. I hope to soon be able to return this love and heart-warmth through mail!

PS: and I haven't forgotten the Pay it Forward, by the way! I'm soooo late, but you know why! :o)

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Updating

I'm sorry that I'm not posting nor visiting my friends' blogs as I should and wanted - I do miss our "chats"! - but things here are getting more and more hectic, with moving time so close now - too many things to do and prepare! We decided to spend Christmas at my mother's place, after all. I'm really worried about her and I wouldn't feel well being away from her at this delicate time. Rodrigo was sweet to agree with me, so I'm going to Petropolis on the 15th to spend some time with my family (while he goes to his parent's to take care of some things about the house to be built and retunring in time for Christmas)  and on the 26th we go to Minas (in January we return to take care of the apartment's rent and other things). Brrr!!!! Rodrigo's father called yesterday and told us that the ground is levelled and the area was all cleaned up. I can't wait to get there and see how it is and take some photos!
Yesterday we went Christmas shopping. Well, at least we started it. We bought a couple of gifts for our 4 nieces with reasonable prices, and between today and Friday I want to choose my siblings' gifts. We still have to decide what to givew to our respective mothers, and I still don't know what to buy for Rodrigo... Maybe a kit for his homeopathy remedies that he's starting to prepare. I'll have to think about it today, sometimes is hard to decide on this, we have already given each othe so many different gifts that the list is shrinking after ten years together! LOL
Our Spring is still that mess: sunny weather, then suddenly cloudy skies and raining a lot (like right now!). We've never had such weather here as far as I remember... I can't even believe that Summer will start next month! I wonder how it wil be...

Still about the moving: I want to spread sea salt over the ground where the house will be built to give it an extra protection, but Iwonder if this would be wise. Any opinions?

Monday, December 1, 2008

Getting ready fo Christmas





This Saturday we spent Saturday rainy morning decorating our little Christmas tree. Lucas always love doing this. I'm Pagan but I love Christmas, it's a family tradition, getting together to spend the night and share gifts, so there's no conflict inside of me. But I add my Yule ornaments to our little tree, so the pagan spirit is ther. IN the end, I only fixed the tree into a vase, and Lucas did everything else. It really looked cute, didn't it? Next year I'll try to have a huge tree, always wanted it!
This year maybe things will be different. We'll probably spend Christmas at Rodrigo's parents house. It will be my first time away from mom's place, hhmmm... Let's see how it goes. Ths is somethign that I still want to talk about with Rodrigo, because it's the first year without Dedê, my sister who died last April, and I don't feel comfortable being away from my mother exactly in this delicate date for her. Well, whatever we decide, it's going to be ok in the end.
On Saturday afternoon we went to a local mall with Lucas' best friend so they could play a bit (an awful weather raining hard again... Holly, our Springtime is definitely not warm this year!). They had so much fun in the mall's park that when we got back home, Lucas fell asleep without dinner and only woke up the morning after.

2Witches giveaway!


2Witches, the wonderful blog by Mama Kelli and Lady Rose, is hosting a monthly giveaway. This time is this gorgeous card from Moonspirit. If you want a chance to win this, leave an entry letting her know your favorite item at Moonspirit Etsy shop. Soon one of my prim Goddesses will be given as well. Let's play! :o)

Monochrome Monday

Today is Mono Maniacs day in the cool meme hosted my our friend Aileni.
Here's my first lavender's flower in a dramatic appeareance! :o) It took a long time to finally blossom!

For more monochrome photos, visit the meme's Mr. Linky page.