Astral Boutique's blog

Shine On, Moon Child

My friend Toni at Moonchild Vintage is always up to something good. Let's revel in the unparalleled beauty of her Etsy photography:

This lady lives on The Next Level. 

Check out this beautiful video for her song "Invocation of my Demon Sister":

This entrancing track is from her album, The Diary of Ic Explura, Part Two- Daughter of the Flood...

...which you can listen to in its entirety here. 

Toni also recently started a new blog, On Bread And Buttermilk Girls Confess The Zodiac, where she shares pages from her art diary:

I love the people in the world whose creativity makes you want to create. That's what it's all about right? Huge love to Toni.

I Heart Etsy- Abigail at Gray Day Studio!

Abigail at Gray Day Studio on Etsy was gifted this shirt from my shop by a friend- it's so cute on her!

Abigail's shop launched two months ago, and she has such a neat selection of photography and handmade items. Here are some of my favorites:

You can visit Gray Day Studio here. (-:

Majikal Dreamer

This is one of the most amazing photos that I've seen lately!

This Majik Traveler's Coat is a handmade work-in-progress by Dawn from Majik Horse. That's the amazing Dawn herself, and one of her beloved equine friends. You can see more preview photos on her Facebook Fan Page here.

Dreamy!

Mademoiselle Mermaid

I love when an Etsian that I admire buys something from me! Enter the gorgeous and talented Renae, proprietress of Mademoiselle Mermaid, who bought this red dress and is rocking it beautifully here:

Renae crafts up a cornucopia of colorful wearables in her shop, like these cuties:

And my personal most coveted item:

Yes that is a GOLD TURBAN. (who wants to buy me a present?)

You can peek Renae's shop here!

 

Good Things Come In Pretty Packages

...Case in point, my new natural perfume oil from Kirsten at Arabesque Aromas. Look at the beautiful wrapping, the delicate card, and the peony petals (for luck)!

It's called The Golden Bough. and it is a complex, uplifting, calming scent that I simply must wear every single day. Kirstin is a true alchemist in the ancient tradition, and there are incredible energetic components in her creations.

Check out the gorgeous Arabesque Aromas shop here! 

A Good Day At The Mailbox

Man, the mail has gotten so boring in the past ten years. Way back when I was a teenager, and I had a hundred pen pals, the mailbox was a place of infinite potential... the sound of the letters being dropped inside got my heart racing! No wonder some of us like to shop online- it means that the mailbox can still be magical place of shiny life-transforming objects.

Case in point, this beautiful package from Kirsten at Arabesque Aromas:

Inside the neatly wrapped tissue paper was the most incredible scent ever-- her newest creation, named Orlando, which is a natural plant-based perfume oil using Lapsang Souchong tea, tree resins and roots, Jasmine flowers and just a hint of Vanilla. Wow... I smell so darn good, it's almost dangerous. 

Kirsten is an artist, a historian, an alchemist, and a plant lover of the highest order.... I really recommend that you explore her aromatic world.

*************************

I have one friend who still writes me letters. And not only does Celeste write, she is the Queen of Presentation: the envelopes are decorated with stamps from a lifetime of stamp collecting, the letters re written on the back of poems, drawings, lists- and they are filled with ephemera and surprises. 

Celeste actually glued this tiny book to the back of the envelope!

Though few of us write and receive letters like we used to, I would say that the joy of this archaic act has actually increased over time.... probably because it is so rare. It feels very strange to tell your friend news and know that it will take days for it to reach her. There is something magical about sending your words into the ether like that... it seems to make them more part of the universe as a whole. 

I hope this post inspires you to send even one letter this year... try it, it still works! And it is as good as you remember it... maybe even better.

Big thanks to Celeste, who is also my partner in a New Year's Resolution to write for 15 minutes a day... you are helping me to get my Groove back!

I Heart Etsy: Gypsy Moon Gifts

Every once in a while, I stumble upon different kinds of "readings" on Etsy, and I always wonder if they could be genuinely amazing-- after all, there are so many fantastic artists on Etsy; shouldn't there be gifted psychics as well?

I never was able to pull the trigger and actually get a reading, however, until I found Gypsy Moon Gifts. (Curiously enough, I discovered this shop on the very evening when I was getting ready to go out to a Gypsy-themed full moon party... love the synchronicity!) It was the "Intuitive Collages" (pictured here) that pulled me in... I loved their energy and their style. Then I started looking at the custom blended oils and the readings, which all sounded enticing. It was the Feedback that got me, though-- I am not sure I have ever read such glowing Feedback anywhere on Etsy!

"Jennifer is amazing, kind and wonderful and so are her readings. Her incredible sensitivity contributes to the depth of the reading and her interest in clearing out and explaining things is felt in everything she writes and how she writes it. She is a real guide, a loving person and a very spiritual being."

"I'm more than a repeat customer at this point, I'm a regular. Every time I get a reading from this seller, it's always caring, insightful, and just... beyond my knowledge of proper descriptive words. Life changing is the only thing I can think of."

"I used this oil yesterday with an especially trying day at work that I thought I couldn't get through. I remember asking earnestly for help after a combination of this and heaven scent, and... like magic... everything started to turn in my favor." 

I do Tarot card readings for myself at home (I like the Herbal Tarot deck by Candis Cantin and Michael Tierra... because I know the herbs so well, and I was a student of Candis', there is an extra touchpoint of understanding for me in each card), but it had been ages since I had received a professional psychic reading.

Jennifer gave me one of the loveliest, most inspiring, positive readings that I have ever had... and best of all, it was full of practical advice. I feel like I had a talk with a sister who knew me inside and out, understood my struggles and my strengths, and truly wanted to help me. 

Along with my reading, I got a custom Intuitive Essential Oil Blend, based on the work Jennifer had done with me. I am in love with my special scent, and I have to say that it is working to bring new energy into my life in a very profound way.

If you have been thinking about getting a reading, whether for a specific issue or just for self-enrichment, I give Gypsy Moon Gifts my highest recommendation. 

Ray Of Light

Okay, I am not going to get Pollyanna on you- I am starting to get worn out with winter! I really do love rain, snow, and cozy days inside, but wow- it has been so long since we had one of our famous California 70 degree "Mediterranean" days which usually allow us a nice break between winter storms. Instead, we have been getting non-stop snow and icy rain! How do you East Coasters and Canadians do this? You people must be far stronger than I.

Last night we had to cancel our band's show in Sacramento because the roads had turned too dangerous to drive on. Man do I hate canceling a show! But after a few experiences sliding around on the road- or having people almost slide into us- this winter, we had to evaluate the risks vs. benefits with an eye on living to see another day. (For you who live in snowy places, if you're wondering why driving in snow is such a biggee here, we get a really wet kind of snow in California, and have a lot of steep hills- a terrible combo. Oh, and no one salts the road, so ice builds up all over the place.) 

But enough "whinging" (as the Aussies and Brits would say). After all, I am going to spend the whole summer half-immersed in the Yuba river, and that pure clear beautiful water must come from somewhere- a giant snowpack in the High Sierras is the only way to make Swimming Season last into September. Whoo hoo!

One of my absolute rays of light lately has been a new Etsy friendship with Kim from Corvid Delights. We did a trade and she created these custom-made earrings for me:

I cannot stop wearing them! They are a perfect color, perfect size, and perfect shape- and they have great energy. Here I am as we left the house today to get some more groceries (ugly Ugg boots are cut out of the picture, so you can imagine that I have on much more glamorous footwear! ha!):

I love that they match the 1960s mustard yellow wool cardigan that is my winter staple. Oh, I guess I should do a "wardrobe remix" style explanation while I am at it, huh? The awesome hat is a Frank Olive, gotten at a deep discount from Dorothy the Hat Lady in the antiques section of Junkees in Reno. The coat is Free People, and the vintage dress I actually bought off of Evil Bay in one of my infrequent visits there. I know I don't do many outfit posts (I am always late whenever I leave the house for anything, so I never have a minute to take a picture!) (it's genetic), but rest assured you are seeing a pretty typical winter outfit here- hippie dress, cardigan, coat, hat, and earrings. I try to look nice even if I am just going to the post office- my motto is "you never know who you will meet". This might sound funny for someone who lives in a small town, but our small town is full of some of the most interesting characters in the world. One must be prepared!

Thanks so much to Kim for these earrings, and all of the other treats that she included in her package... it feels so nice to be so extravagantly showered in gifts, when it's so yucky outside! Check out Kim's blog here- it is so personal, so sweet, and so magical. Trust me.

The Muse Party Continues

What an amazing week... yesterday one of my customers sent me this drawing that she did in her sketchbook. You might recognize the hat!

 Her name is Jackie Sullivan and she is an incredible illustrator... luckily for us she has a blog and print shop where we can find her work. 

It seems that many artists out there are able to catch up on their work during the snowstorms that have been hitting most of the country for the past several weeks... Jackie did this on a snow day when she got to stay home from work. Imagine what else is being created out there!

Humungous thanks to Jackie for sharing this beautiful piece with me.

Painted Lady

Last night this amazing picture arrived as a total, out-of-the-blue surprise in my Etsy inbox:

It was painted by Danica of the Etsy shop Danica Land, inspired by my Love Balloon-themed listings last week. How amazing that we can light the fires of each other's imagination like this in Etsyland! Sometimes it feels like Etsy is a non-stop party thrown by the muses, for the muses. 

Huge thanks to Danica for sharing this gorgeous painting with me- you have made me so happy!