I have a new Youtube show! All Things Energy

It's a new year and that means a brand new project! I have just recently started a brand new live Youtube show with some friends! The show is called All Things Energy and we go live every Monday evening at 7pm Eastern Time.

The show is basically an open philosophical discussion about various Metaphysical topics. So far we have discussed topics such as Universal Consciousness, Spiritual Psychology, Ghosts, Spirit Guides, Angels, Numerology, Tarot, Purifying Water, and Crystals. 

Our goal is eventually to have people post questions live as were are talking but it can take a while to build up an audience! I would also like to make my own videos eventually so I can dive a little deeper into topics that really interest me like Tarot.

There are three of us on the show. Dana Jensen, John Wheeler, and I. Dana is an extremely talented Psychic Medium and Empath who enjoys talking about many topics. John is very scientific and does fascinating experiments with water, crystals, and pyramids as well as being intuitive. And then there's me, I am an Intuitive Empath and Tarot Reader and also the researcher in the group. We balance each other out perfectly!

I have always been into studying ancient mythology. But I find I'm trying to learn even more now! My favourite metaphysical topics are Tarot, Pendulums, Runes, Paganism, The Craft, Spirit Guides, Angels, Goddesses, and Spiritual Psychology. I think I could never get tired of talking about this stuff so it seems only natural to start a show on the topic!

You can find us weekly at Dana Jensen's Youtube channel from 7-9pm on Monday evenings. Please feel free to post some questions or comments for us. We will respond the following week.

Death by Glitter Fashion Show

Well hello there! If I still have any followers out there! I know you probably think I fell off the face of the earth but actually I have just been extremely busy lately. And I would love to show you what I've been up to!

2016 has been a challenging year for me just like most people I know. It started out slow with building my online business on Etsy. I've have been steadily working on it though. This past November I had an opportunity to participate in an amazing Fashion Show with some very talented friends from That's My Drag . The theme was Glam Rock , David Bowie, and Velvet Goldmine. The more glitter the better!

I opted to show off some of my more advanced sewing skills by making some evening gowns that I ordinarily don't have the chance to make. I spent a lot of time and blood, sweat, and tears making these dresses!

My first model was the beautiful and talented Miss Ruby Moon. I wanted Ruby's dress to look like old Hollywood glam. The dress is made from a heavy satin with a sequin shelf bust and thigh high slit. I wanted to up the glitter quotient so I added an over skirt in sequin that Ruby can remove if she wants to. I also added a sweet little capelet in black velvet with sequin appliqué that matches the over skirt. It's a truly timeless and glamorous outfit.

My second model was the fabulous Sapphyre Poisone I went for a sexy androgenous look for Sapphyre. I made a very fitted long velvet dress with an ultra low cut neckline. I emphasized the neckline with handsewn crystals. I topped it with a 20s style cocoon coat in sparkle sequin.

My next model was the talented and gorgeous Athena McQueen. I went with a more gothic witchy look for Athena McQueen, I made a pretty dress with a hi-low hem out of a purple satin with black spiderweb lace overlay. However it was Athena's velvet coat that was the real show stopper. It was a full length coat made from crushed velvet and a corset back. I added feathered trim to the collar for a dramatic effect.

Last but certainly not least was the hostess of the show Victoria Parks in a long fitted velvet dress with a pretty romantic sequin top over it. Victoria has the most amazing taste in jewelry and accessories. And I was delighted when she did a special performance of Stevie Nick's song Stand Back!

And finally that leaves my dress. I've always wanted to make a princess dress so I did! this dress has three layers. Red Chiffon, black chiffon, and a lining in satin. I edged the sleeves in sequin trim for a bit of sparkle and then topped it off with a Stevie Nicks style shawl. You know I had to add a little bit of Stevie in there somewhere!

My make up was done professionally for the show. I love the swirls and the moon. It matched my outfit perfectly!  We had a lot of fun that evening with loads of talented designers and performers. The show was a huge success for everyone involved!

Kat Von D Serpentina Review

So I just couldn't resist picking up the new Serpentina eyeshadow kit from Kat Von D! With names like Bloodmilk and Ankh, who could resist? This is my whole collection of Kat Von D makeup so far. The lipsticks from left to right are Slayer, Vampira, and Gothica. I carry the Vampira in my purse because it's my go to shade. It's a nice dark red. The eyeshadow colour Doce matches the Gothica lipstick perfectly.  I'm in love with all the eyeshadows!

Everyday Outfit: 2 new dresses!

Here are two new dresses I made this week. The floral one is up for grabs on Etsy but I'm going to keep the hooded one. I thought this dress would be cute with a hood for fall. I might revise the hood a bit on the next dress but I'm pretty happy with it. Just in case you are interested in the velvet one there is a 20% coupon right now. Just use the code "autumnmoon".

Both of these dresses are twirl worthy for sure! 

Bat necklace by Eden Bachelder

Boots by Pleaser

Vintage Necklace 

Disco Boots by Doc Marten 

Everyday Outfit: 90s Style Updated

I'm sorry I haven't posted an everyday outfit in a long time now. I finished this dress a few weeks ago and I love it! It's the perfect dress for those early fall days when you want to wear boots and a sweater but it's still a little hot outside. When it gets cooler I can throw a shawl or jacket on over the top of the dress.

I don't normally wear florals but I do like this one. Maybe it's all the purple? I decided on a simple bell sleeved skater style for the dress because I thought it would be practical now and into the winter. I finished the outfit off with a big floppy hat, Docs, and a moon choker from Crypt of Curiosities 

I call it a 90s grunge dress because it's similar to all those velvet dresses that were so popular back then. Plus the combo of floral and Docs just screams 90s Seattle style to me. I'll just be off now listening to Nirvana or Soundgarden then. You know where to find me. Lost in the 90s.

Mad Tea Party: Tea and Tarot

 

Mad Tea Party Blog Party hosted by A Fanciful Twist 

Welcome to my Mad Mad Tea Party! This post is part of a fantastic blog party hosted by A Fanciful Twist. It's a traditional blog hop so please make sure to visit the home page on Fanciful Twist for the links to all the participating blogs!

Welcome to my home, please pull up a chair and have a seat at my Tarot table! I have a nice hot cup of tea ready and waiting for you! 

Today we are using my newest deck, The Wild Unknown Tarot. It's a beautiful handmade deck that I found on the Internet. I love how the artwork really speaks to me. It's simple and powerful. It's full of hand drawn animals and rustic designs. I've laid out a few spreads below using the deck so you can see the artwork in action. 

3 card spread:

7 of cups

Mother of wands (queen of wands)

Ace of swords 

4 card spread: 

The Magician 

Strength

Judgement 

The Hanged Man 

And below you can see all of the major arcana laid out all at once. 

And here is what the deck looks like in a Celtic Cross spread. It has become one of my favourite decks already. I've used it for several readings with clients already. 

If you are interested in a tarot reading by me please check out my Etsy store. I've just added a 3 card ($10) and a Celtic Cross ($20) spread on Etsy. 

Bat Fit Update: Summer Cycling

The Curious Professor Z's Bat Fit 2016

When spring started this year I thought I was in the worst physical shape I have been in for years! I was steadily gaining weight and couldn't keep up with my regular cycling club rides this year. I was really worried I would never be able to keep up again. My cardio has never been good but this year it was atrocious. I am a very experienced mountain biker. I've been riding for at least 10 years but that doesn't mean a thing if you're sucking too much air and feel like you're going to pass out while trying to ride up a hill.

Since I couldn't keep up with the fast guys on the regular rides anymore I started posting my own slower rides just to get myself going again. Luckily some of the ladies from my bike club are joining me and we are working towards building up the cardio at a good pace.

We had a special advanced bike skills clinic as well this week working on some technical skills of riding on rocks.  A few of the instructors took on the challenge of teaching some of us girls how to ride down tricky rocky and rooty descents and how to lift our front tires in order to ride over larger log crossings. Most of us girls were experienced riders, so it was interesting to see how we can keep improving on the sport. Even if you think you are really good at something there is always the next level to learn when it comes to mountain biking. 

You see, in the mountain biking community there are two types of riders. Those that like to go as fast as they can on smooth trails and those that like to ride slowly and technical over rocks. The first type is what I like to call the "roadies" or racers. You know the type. They watch everything they eat, they know exactly how much their bike weighs, they use Strava to keep track of their times, and they usually belong to some type of race club. They are the A-Type personalities of the mountain biking world. The second type of mountain bikers are what I call the "good timers". They just like to have a good time on the trails. Whether it's slow or fast. They are easy to spot because they usually have a beer in their hand and a smile on their face after a long ride. They ride heavier all-mountain bikes instead of light weight bikes, they prefer flat pedals instead of being clipped into the pedals, they look for the challenges on the trail rather than riding by them, and they love beer! 

I definitely fit in better with the good timers. My bike skills are pretty good but I definitely need to work on improving them. I need to improve my cardio also so I can keep up to the guys again but I'm not interested in racing again any time soon. I did do some racing almost 10 years ago. But that seems like another lifetime now. I would rather spend my time these days teaching new riders rather than trying to improve my time on Strava. 

What I love about the sport is that I'm out in nature at least three times a week. I love to be in the woods. It's my home away from home. When you are mountain biking you have to focus solely on the trail in front of you. You have no time to think about everyday troubles or worries when you're riding because if you let your mind wander too much you end up crashing into a tree! You are entirely focused on what is coming up ahead of you. How to get over that rock, what line to pick, or looking further down the trail. You will end up in this meditative zone of cycling. It is definitely good for the soul as well as your body. 

This soul healing quality to mountain biking is hard to describe. It struck me the other day during the skills clinic just how much mountain biking perfectly mirrors life in a way that was completely unexpected for me. There we were, a group of experienced female riders learning new skills on a difficult trail. Basically what we were learning was that sometimes it's better to slow down and take on the challenges that come along in life instead of trying to race past everything difficult and take the easy route around the obstacle. Sometimes you have to face that challenge head on and conquer it even though you might crash. Now that's an important life lesson! Even if you do crash, just pick yourself up and dust off the dirt and try that obstacle again and again until it is no big deal anymore. If you never try to conquer your inner demons you will never know your full self on the other side of fear. The best things in life are on the other side of fear so don't let it hold you back any longer. I said to the instructor after the ride that I crashed more that day than I have any many years and he said that's because you tried to do more than you have been doing for many years. He's so right. I had become stale in a holding pattern of only taking the easy route. But not only the easy route on the trails but also in life. The challenge free route might be easy and drama free but it will never lead you to where you want to go in life. 

Hopefully this summer I can finally get my cardio back in shape but I know it's going to take a long time to get there and I'm going to have to face my demons instead of trying to run away from them! Go over those rocks and roots until they become easy and then search for a new challenge!