Chaotic and Crafty

PBP Week 20 – J is for Jasper

Whoa! Where did the week go? I feel like it just flew by. Tomorrow is my Friday and I’ve got some awesome plans for the weekend.

Saturday night I am teaching a class to my coven sisters. I’ll be doing a short class on the runes. Pronunciation, keywords and a spread or 2. I’m even crafting a couple of sets of runes in case some of the girls don’t have a set. I’ll post a tutorial on that next week.

It is going to be a lot of fun. I’m still getting used to teaching but the anxiety is getting less and less.

Sunday my roommates are taking me to this vegan and vegetarian festival here in the valley. Apparently vendors will be there and you can sample different vegan and vegetarian foods and products. I’m really looking forward to it because I’ve found I like a lot of things that are vegan and/or vegetarian! After the festival we’re heading over to our local Pagan shop The Green Man. They’re having a healing faire and a spring cleaning sale.

After reading about Jasper for this week’s Pagan Blog Project I think I may just pick some up while I’m there!

I like to call Jasper my “stop stressing” stone. It has amazing calming effects and is also known to help keep stress at a minimum.

There are a few different colors of jasper and each one, while still being a very calming and positive stone, work in different ways.

Brown/Picture – The brown jasper is great for grounding and centering. Many people hold on to one after ritual to ground the excess energy.

Brown jasper is also a great stone to promote good luck. It is said that brown jasper carved into an arrowhead will bring good luck to the wearer.

This particular jasper is also known to strengthen our connection to the earth. It promotes environmental responsibility and responsibility for ones own actions in general.

Red – Red is another balancing variety of jasper. It also a stone that is good for friendship.

For expecting mothers, red jasper has been known to keep morning sickness away and as been used as a protective stone during the first 3 months of pregnancy. It’s also known to calm stomach problems.

The red jasper is a very protective stone and is known to send negativity back where it came from. It can also help in dream recall and in workings to help achieve goals.

Yellow – This bright and pretty form of jasper is great for helping with positive self-image. It also can bring strength and general positive energy.

Not only is this a stone of self-love but, it is one that can help with love for others.

As a healing stone yellow jasper is good for the metabolism. It has also been known to be good for the liver, pancreas and bladder.

Leopard/Spotted – This spotted stone is great in helping with creativity. It can also be used to aid in visualization.

Leopard jasper may also help in rituals involving finding your power animal.

In healing the leopard jasper has been known to help with the gall bladder and promotes good thyroid function.

Things I Love Thursday – Food Edition

It’s a known fact among my circle of friends and family that I hate cooking. OK, hate is a pretty strong word. I STRONGLY dislike cooking. Standing over a stove making sure things don’t burn, making sure the recipe is followed and that what I am cooking is fit for human consumption are all anxiety inducing tasks and I try to avoid anxiety when possible.

The good news is that one of my best friends LOVES to cook and has got me excited about making things lately. We have plans to take a Sunday (the day I am off work AND soon to be True Blood night!) and make some breads.

So in honor of my possible new-found interest in cooking I thought I’d do a recipes edition of Things I Love Thursday.

I’ll start with what i made last night.

This is a piece of the taco bake i adapted to be meatless.

I found a recipe for a taco lasagna on SparkRecipes about a week ago. It was listed as having like 40 calories and used ground beef. I do eat meat but I live with someone who is vegetarian so I wanted to make something we could both enjoy for dinner. The other thing is the nutritional info was WAY off anyway. So i adapted this to my needs. You can find the recipe here.

Yes, it does look a bit flat since I put it in a pan that was way too big. Next time there will be a smaller pan and more layers.

The next recipe i absolutely love is a variation I have made on the Italian dressing pasta salad recipe.

1 Box Rotini pasta
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 bottle of italian dressing

Drain the artichoke hearts and cut up peppers into bite sized pieces. Cook pasta til al dente and drain. Throw all ingredients along with half a bottle of italian dressing (I used fat-free.) into a large bow and mix well. Throw it in the fridge til it’s time to serve!

I recommend you follow me on Pinterest! I am always repining tons of amazing recipes. I think that site is going to be big in helping me learn to like cooking.

What are your favorite simple recipes?

Wordless Wednesday – What I’m Reading

My Top 10 Favorite Crafty Gifts

Imagine yourself sitting at home at 9pm the day before your best friend’s birthday, your sister’s wedding shower, or the day your Mom comes back from Europe. You notice the reminder pop up on your phone and frantically run to your craft cupboard/room/basket realizing you didn’t get to pick up a gift for the special occasion. I know we’ve all been there, but it’s OK! I am here to help with my top 10 favorite quick crafties that would make anyone smile on their special day, whatever the occasion.

While i am super crafty I have found that there’s usually no need to reinvent the wheel when putting together a nice gift for someone. So, don’t worry if what you are thinking of making has been done before. You will put your own spin on it and add a little of the recipient’s own style for a unique gift.

Washer Necklaces - These are an amazing quick gift for a girl or woman. Just pick out the colors or designs that suit the wearer the best. If you’re into crafts at all you’ll have most of these things lying around and if you’ve got a handy SO around then you may even have the washers too!

These Chunky Cocktail Rings are super simple and would make a fun thing to add to the top of a box for a gift!

Cabochon Accessories are also great little gifts if you’re doing a gift card. You could also pair them with the cocktail ring and a washer necklace to do a full set! This tutorial suggests getting the stuff from a specific place but if you look around the web I’m sure you can keep costs down.

Wrap bracelets are super quick and very stylish! I’ve seen them in magazines and on the arms of celebrities.

I know what some of you might be thinking by now, “Really Amber, it’s enough with the jewelry already!!!” OK I’ve got some other quick gifties that might make someone smile!

Sugar scrubs are quick and easy gifts! A total bonus is you may already have all the stuff in your kitchen!!!

Do you have a fellow crafter to get something for? How about making one of these mason jar sewing kits!

Need a housewarming gift? These tile coasters will do just fine! Even if you don’t know the recipients decor you may know some of their favorite things. Who wouldn’t want some Doctor Who or X-Men themed coasters? (and no I swear that IS NOT a hint…much!)

Oh I LOVE gifts in a jar! This site gives you some really cool ideas like Energy in a Jar and Pampering in a Jar! I think a manicure in a jar would be cute!

More fun with Mod Podge! These glitter glass magnets and thumbtacks are a really cool take on the marble magnets that were really popular a few years back.

For my last quick gift i couldn’t resist one for the dog lovers. I know this is a recipe not so much a craft but what if you’re attending a doggy birthday party? Yes, puppies have parties too! Check out this recipe for a Peanut Butter Delight Dog Birthday Cake!

What are your go-to quick gift favorites?

Things I Love Friday

Yeah you saw that right! I was unable to get a post out yesterday due to a busy work day. But that’s OK because I’m here with a Things I love post that you’re sure to love as well.

First, here are the things I am grateful for this week.

My job – It’s a well-known fact that I hate working customer service but my job puts food on the table and a roof over my head.
Good friends – Again I have to add my friends to this list because they are some of the greatest people. THey keep me grounded when things get crazy.
My family – I’m lucky to have parents, a brother, soon to be sister in-law and cousin like mine. They aren’t able to visit much but they are the coolest people.
My coven sisters – They are a mix of friends and family both. They are there when I need an ear and they are some of my best supporters. Amazing, strong women!

So as far as the things I am loving this week it’s a short list but a good one.

I found this really cool home decor project on Pinterest that I plan to do this weekend. You only need a few things and the project costs maybe $20!
Remember how i said i loved glitter nail polish last week? Well Sally Hanson has come out with a polish called Gem Crush that is AMAZING!

This isn’t that brand but something my salon had on hand. I just wanted to post a pic of my color this week

WIGS!!! I went out a couple of weeks ago and got some to play around with while I grow out my hair. I love the way they look but hate how hot they make me!
Yes, that is me wearing a wig!
This Green tea mojito! I’m trying to be healthy in my eating and this blog has been an inspiration for many healthy meals. So when she posted this cocktail I got super excited! My close friends know how I feel about RUM!

There are a lot more things I’m loving now but for some reason the thoughts are escaping me. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and stay tuned for a Mother’s Day post about the most amazing woman I know, my Mom!!!

Wordless Wednesday – Things Done Daily

Daily tarot

VLog What’s In My Purse

Things I Love Thursday

So I have read a fabulous blog www.galadarling.com. If you haven’t checked it out then you really should. She is an amazing writer, takes fabulous pictures and has inspired me in so many ways already with her posts about Radical Self Love. Gala does a post each week about things she loves and things she is grateful for called “Things I Love Thursday.” I thought it was an awesome idea and am really excited to start doing this on Chaotic and Crafty.

Each week I’ll post, list or take pictures of some of my favorite things as well as things I am grateful for this week. Doing this will bring a bit more positive thinking into my life. WHen my days get crazy and I am feeling stressed I can look at these things and feel a bit happier! Plus, you all might find your new obsession, or take a look at what you’re grateful for in your lives!

Things I’m Grateful For This Week:

My friends – I have such a strong support system through my friends and coven sisters. They are amazing. Sunday night I locked my keys in my apartment. My friend D and I had gone to the store and I didn’t realize my keys were on the counter until we got back. My roommate had headed off to band practice so we sat on the front porch of my building. After a mild freak out I remembered my friend B had keys to our place that we’d given her when she moved in across the street from us. I ran over there and grabbed the keys from her thanking her probably a million times. B saved the day!
My feline roommates – Eggy, Gypsy and Lucky seem to always put a smile on my face even when I’m freaking out, stressed or just plain tired. You just can’t ignore their cuteness! It’s just too bad they are a little camera-shy!

: Gypsy loves his baskets

My family – I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like but Mom, Dad, C &S are amazingly kick ass people wo have supported me in everything I have done (well, the things that have been good ideas anyway!)

Things I’m Loving This Week

These are in no particular order. Just some things I’ve loved this week

A fellow LSGer on Ravelry Joan of Dark and someone who has just given my inspiration to knit a boost with her book Knits For Nerds. I now want to knit all the nerdy things!!! She’s also got some really cool patterns oer at Knit Picks
Late July Organic Snacks Summertime Blues Multi Grain Snack Chips! These things are fantastic! My roommate won a huge gift basket of gluten-free snacks at a shop near our place. These were in it. THey look and taste like tortilla chips but they are so much better!
The soft squishy yarn I picked up in Portland! I’m working a small shawl in a pretty blue colorway now and I am in LOVE!
My Converse tennies. Yeah I know but seriously these things saved my feet a lot of hell when I was walking around during my vacation. My legs were super sore but my feet? Not at all!

Sparkly green nail polish!! I am not usually a huge fan of green but add glitter to it and I’m ALL OVER it. PRETTY!