A Very Petunia Anniversary

Are you having a great year so far? January is a special month for me because it's the month I started blogging and this year I'm celebrating my 3 year blog anniversary.

Yes, Frosted Petunias is 3 years old!

Three years. I still can't believe I've been able to stick with it this long. I have a tendency to lose interest in things after a few short months but my little blog seems to have taken on a life of it's own.

I originally wanted to blog about cupcakes and cupcake crafts and art but I soon discovered an entire new world of mixed media art, swaps, giveaways, art challenges and blog parties. I never imagined I would be blogging more than a few months but here I am three years later. Obviously I still love talking about cupcakes :)

 

My Luna also grew up along side my blog. I adopted her a month before I started blogging when she was still a kitten. We have been on this adventure together along with our favorite visitor LaLou. Luna and I still miss her dearly.

I have learned so much and met many wonderful bloggers. I've shared my creative journey and even some of my personal ups and downs and I have been amazed by the amount of support given to me through both the triumphs and tears. Bloggers are awesome people.

My first everything pretty much happened during that first year in blogland -- the weekly Pink Saturday blog hop, a year long paper dress challenge, atc swaps, art challenges, blog parties and eventually hosting my Practical Magic and Witches Tea parties. I also found the courage to try painting and creating mixed media collage. There was so much to blog about my first year!

Years two and three were much slower. I took several months off and at times wondered if I was done with blogging all together. But I always found myself coming back and that has been the biggest surprise.

As I start my fourth year in blogland I look forward to discovering more inspiring treasures, learning more about myself and meeting even more of this growing community of bloggers willing to share their art, pictures and stories with the world. Thank you for keeping me inspired.

I created a little slide show to celebrate my anniversary. It has some of my favorite memories and images from year one. If you've been with me since those early days I hope you'll enjoy looking back with me again.

Click on the image to watch the show.

For optimum viewing turn on sound and view

in full screen mode.

the bewitching home

It's The Bewitching Home blog party hosted by The Witch of Howling Creek! Thank you to Tenae for creating this fun event.

 

 

I have always loved stories about witches. Both on books and film. It started with Sabrina and Samantha and later the Owens family and the Halliwell sisters.

 

 

One thing that I've never outgrown is my obsession with witches' houses. Or at least the ones portrayed in movies and tv.

 

 

Film witches almost always live in Victorians. Samantha from Bewitched might be the one exception. Something about old Victorians lends itself perfectly to that bohemian witchy style.

 

 

Even Nicole Kidman's sweet little cottage in the movie Bewitched had a very feminine gypsy boho vibe. I guess the rule is witches like romantic and vampires prefer modern.

 

 

I'm really late decorating for Halloween this year. I got super busy with my bloggy stuff and it has been unseasonably warm until this week. Now it finally feels like Fall.

 

 

Each year I tell myself I'm going to try a whole new look. Maybe go more minimal and not put out so much stuff. But once I get all my favorite Halloween goodies out I always end up with the same witchy shabby cottage look I love.

 

 

I took the shades off my chandelier for the summer then popped them back on for fall. The crows decided they prefer the shades there too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The skelly bride is a spooky project I did the year before.

 

 

 

The mini tutorial is HERE.

 

My carnival witch will hang near the front door again like this.

 

 

I usually look forward to all the Halloween magazine issues and September and October are the only months when I buy several different ones. I didn't buy one single one this year.

 

 

None of them were very exciting. The last Martha Stewart one I got is this one from 2010. This year she just re-issued the same one from 2011 and I wasn't too excited about that one either.

 

 

Even my Luna isn't too thrilled with this year's offerings.

 

At least Martha still has great recipes on her site. Here is one for a Spooky Halloween Spirit.

 

 

Ghost in the Graveyard

Serves 1
2 ounces black vodka
2 ounces creme de cacao or coffee-flavored liqueur
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Pinch of finely grated nutmeg, for garnish

In a glass, combine vodka and creme de cacao, and set aside. Place a scoop of ice cream in a highball glass, and slowly pour vodka mixture over ice cream. Garnish with nutmeg; serve immediately.

 

How about pairing that with these lovely dark treats.

 

 

Or this for something more blood curdling.

 

 

Blood Orange Cocktail

 

1 1/2 cups fresh blood-orange juice (from 7 to 8 blood oranges) chilled

6 tablespoons Solerno or other blood-orange liqueur

Combine blood-orange juice and liqueur in a large pitcher. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Pour into test tubes or small glasses.

 



  I hope you enjoyed your visit.

 

 

Thank you for stopping by my bewitching home.

 

Be sure to visit the rest of the bewitching homes at The Witch of Howling Creek.

 

 

To see a larger view of all the pictures click on any image and view in the Blogger image viewer without the text.

 

Have a bewitchingly spooky and enchanted Halloween.

 

 

 

P.S. Just a reminder that the Spooktacular Auction at Supporting Northwest Indiana Shelters/Rescues is still going on. The final day is October 15. Stop by and help homeless kitties and doggies. My painting Broom Ride is available along with other great fur baby goodies.

 

 

 

 

 

 



moonlight party under the big top

 

There's a big bright moon rising just above the hillside. It's time for the Moonlight Party Under the Big Top at Bliss Angels!

 

 

Just follow the moonlit path.

 

What could be more enchanting than seeing a big top under a full moon?

 

 

Here is Claire waiting patiently for the show to start while enjoying a sweet treat. This digi collage was so much fun to make. I have almost forgotten how much I enjoy creating them so this was a great way to get back into doing digital art again.

 

It's been a while since I've been to the circus but they have always fascinated me. The sight of a circus tent suddenly appearing out of nowhere appeals to me perhaps even more than the show itself. I love tents of all kinds.

 

Image source: INDULGY

 

I have fond memories of going to the circus with my family when I was young. The sights and sounds were thrilling and the spectacle of Ringling Brothers' 3 ring circus was quite an experience. However I would never again see a circus that still includes wild animals in their show. That's just me so I prefer shows like Cirque du Soleil that only includes human performers.

 

 

I also love the impermanent nature of a traveling show. The way it makes you feel like you only have a short time to enjoy the magic before it's gone. Maybe that is the appeal of wanting to run away with the circus.

 

Last month I saw a bright blue circus tent off the freeway during a long drive home. I had to stop and see and at least take a few pictures.

 

 

Circus Vargas is a California based circus. What makes them stand out is their bright blue big top emblazoned with giant yellow stars. I didn't have time to see a show but I walked around long enough to enjoy the smell of popcorn and catch a glimpse of a few performers making their way into the tent. I like that Circus Vargas no longer uses animals in their acts so I hope I can see them the next time they roll into town.

 

There is one place however where I don't mind seeing a cat in a circus.

 

 

On one of my new paintings where the kitty is also the ring mistress! This is PT and Bailey enjoying a swing on their flying trapeze high above my favorite hillside. What better place to watch the moon rising above a magical big top?

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and thank you to Wendy and Kim for putting on a great big top party. Be sure to visit the party home page for a list of all the circus performers.

 

 

Join me again next week for our Halloween carnival,

Le Mysterieux Carnival.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

 



free broom rides for fur babies

I need a good strong dose of autumn today. It's back up to the 90's the next few days and I'm getting a little droopy. Thank goodness for all the fall happenings around blogland.

So far I'm doing a total of 4 blog parties and an art challenge. Speaking of the art challenge. I gave up trying to find the other shoe to alter for my Autumn Altered Witch Shoe. I thought I put it in a 'safe place' so I wouldn't lose it of course, and what did I do? I lost it. Which gives me a good excuse to take a trip to my favorite thrift store today. I'm sure I'll find something fun there.

I'm finishing up a new 12x12 Halloween painting called "Broom Ride".

Here is a peek.

I came across an event called the Spooktacular Auction through my pet advocacy page Peace Paws Petunias. It's hosted by an organization that supports NW Indiana animal rescues and shelters. I thought I could donate my painting for the online auction happening next month.

I'm just waiting to get a final OK. They are in need of donations so if anyone out there would like to check it out you can visit their Facebook page HERE. I'll post more pics later with info on the auction for anyone interested in bidding on "Broom Ride" and helping out the fur babies :)

Have a great weekend.

looking for a challenge

I'm curious about the different challenges you guys participate in.

OK maybe not one like this.

Or this

I've done a few atc swaps and weekly art challenges and I'm looking for something new to try. I know there are tons out there. Weekly word, color, phrase, table settings, work space, funny photo...

I'd love to hear what challenges you're doing or favorite ones you've done before.

And if you've ever done a challenge like this I'd love to hear about it too.



practical magic changes and something new

A few weeks ago I started to see Fall and Halloween stuff popping up in stores. It always takes me by surprise even if I can't wait to see them every year. It's a little jarring to see skeletons and pumpkins when it's 102 outside. But I love it of course.

Early this month I posted about feeling a little anxious about Fall this year. I had some very heavy personal drama last year and the worst of it was in September as I was putting the Practical Magic blog party together to be exact.

 

It took a lot to find the will to get through the blog party when all I wanted to do was not deal with the world. I was numb for a while and felt like I sleep walked my way through Halloween.

 

Maybe my heartache was a little obvious as I look back at some of the things I made then. So this year I wanted something different. The good news is that my relationship, although still fragile at times, is in a much better place now. I'm hoping that avoiding unpleasant reminders will keep it moving forward. Unfortunately I couldn't keep from associating the blog party with the chaos that was going on around it.

 

 

I've had people asking about this year's PM party since around April and honestly I wasn't sure what I wanted to do until recently. I still love Practical Magic. The house, the Aunts and of course Sally and Gillian. The movie has become somewhat of a Halloween classic which is obvious because of the witches. But the only touch of autumn is the final Halloween scene when the ladies jump off the roof. Otherwise the rest of the film is set in Spring. Sally runs off to confess to Gary on March 8 (which happens to be Aidan Quinn's birthday and yes it's my birthday too!).

So I started to entertain the idea of having a PM blog party next Spring. The creamy ivory and apple green shades are perfect for welcoming spring. Remember the trees with white cherry blossoms and the vases of ivory blooms in Sally's shop and on the kitchen table? The Aunts even return from an obviously non winter solstice celebration. It was a deliberate decision by the director and production designer to set the story in spring to go against the stereotypical dark and gloomy witches house.

For me it would be a refreshing change but I wanted to get some thoughts on this and run it by you guys. Would you be interested in a spring PM party or would you rather save it for next Fall? I know in another year I'd be more than ready to have one in fall again. I'd love to know what you think.

 

OK, then what do I have planned for this Fall you ask? Well in that same post I mentioned discovering the book The Night Circus and hinted that it inspired me to create something based on the story. I started planning and collecting black and white circus goodies. Marfi and I plotted and we got very excited about possibly doing a night circus blog party.

Then we found ourselves going down a different road. Something else clicked better and the more we brain stormed the more it felt right. So we decided to do this other thing and now it's all wrapped up and ready to go. I'll share it with you very, very soon!

 

 

Wendy at Bliss Angels is also hosting the Moonlight Party Under the Big Top in September so I'll get to have a bit of circus fun too. Yay!

Now back to Summer again. I watched the opening ceremony for the Olympics last night. It's always my favorite part. I thought it was very cool that JK Rowling was a part of it and the bit with James Bond and the Queen was unexpectedy brilliant in that cheeky English way. I also loved the way they lit the torch. I'm a sucker for production and I'm always the first one to tear up at events like that. Silly me.

I hope you're enjoying the weekend and these last few days of July.

I'll be back soon with something a little wicked.