My new Lil Friend

Meet the newest addition here at the bee - charmers cottage..

May I introduce.....

"Half Moon FudderWagon"

Below he is doing his best impression of " The Incredible Mr. Limpet" in his most unusual home.

A great find for me on eBay some years ago...

GO ASK ALICE ?

WOO---- WHOoooo I have been waiting for this movie and did it deliver......

3d -->>>Yippee great choice Tim !!! As for Depp? A man after my own heart!!!

three thumbs up Captain!!

Now I await -->>>> Dark Shadows!! One of the next Depp /Burton re- creations!!

Hugs

B.

Vladimir Grigoryevich Tretchikoff

Hi to all , I had to do a post on this artist... I was mesmerized by his vision.. Hubby found this vintage print at a yard sale. So I had to research the artist.. How interesting of a journey it was.. Title;

Chinese Girl

Vladimir Grigoryevich Tretchikoff

1913-2006

Although Tretchikoff spent his early years in China, this portrait was painted in Cape Town. The model is a member of the small Chinese community there. Possibly the best known of all Tretchikoff's paintings. Lithographs of this painting can be seen in all corners of the world. Artist’s Collection, 1950’s First Hand Tretchikoff Print. This print has been produced to the highest quality under the artist’s personal supervision and is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authentication.


To know his work is to understand an artist who became a phenomenon. A man who never compromised because he was being lead by an all-encompassing drive to do what he loved, to paint. Even in the face of adversity, he continued to pursue his passion, unashamedly.

Tretchikoff was a self-taught artist who painted realistic figures, portraits, still life and animals, with subjects often inspired by his early life in China and Malaysia, and later life in South Africa. Tretchikoff's work was immensely popular with the general public, but is often seen by art critics as the epitome of kitsch (indeed, he was nicknamed the "King of Kitsch"). He worked in oil, watercolour, ink, charcoal and pencil but is best known for his reproduction prints which sold worldwide in huge numbers. The reproductions were so popular that it was said Tretchikoff was second only to Picasso in his popularity

He quickly became famous in South Africa thanks to a book that collected his portraits of Oriental women and pictures of flowers, and held successful exhibitions in Cape Town and Johannesburg. His fame spread to the United States, where the Rosicrucians of San Jose invited him to launch an American tour. Around 19,000 people saw his show in Los Angeles and 51,000 in San Francisco. In Seattle, a rival show which included Picasso and Rothko sold fewer tickets, to Tretchikoff’s satisfaction. A million Americans finally saw his paintings, which then went on to Canada with equal success. This was followed by a large exhibition in 1961 at Harrods in London where he decided that the Harrod's art gallery was too small. He requested and was granted the privilege of having his exhibition in the ground-floor exhibition space. About 205,000[3] people attended the exhibition and one of his British admirers, Leslie Rigall, bought ten paintings and designed his new house in Windsor Great Park around them.

His famous Chinese Girl, a 1950 painting featuring an Eastern model with blue-green skin, is one of the best selling prints of all time. Prints of the painting became widespread during the 1960s and 1970s, and the painting was featured in various plays and television programmes: the original set of Alfie, with a drawn moustache in one episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus and an episode of Doctor Who.

Other popular paintings of oriental figures were Miss Wong and Balinese Girl. He said of British prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Markova, who sat for The Dying Swan, that she was his most stimulating sitter.

Dark Shadows + Depp = Fantastic!!

Dark Shadows is a Gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis, who tells of a dream he had in which a girl takes a long train ride to visit a large mansion. It was considered daring (and unprecedented in daytime television) when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began.
The series became hugely popular when, a year into its run, vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, appeared. In addition to vampires, Dark Shadows featured werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel (both into the past and into the future), and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles and, as actors came and went, some characters were played by several actors. Major writers in addition to Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, who created the character of Barnabas Collins, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.







Dark Shadows now considered somewhat of a camp classic, it continues to enjoy intense cult status among its followers. Director Tim Burton and Madonna have both gone on record as fans of the series. As a child Johnny Depp was so obsessed with Barnabas Collins that he wanted to be him. In fact, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are collaborating yet again to bring this series back to life. Johnny Depp will play the lead role of Barnabas. It will be director Tim Burton's next project and eighth collaboration with Depp.
We'll find out when Burton and Depp team up for the big-screen adaptation of "Dark Shadows. Burton confirmed when he presented footage from "Alice in Wonderland" to a capacity crowd at Comic-Con's cavernous Hall H. He said "Dark Shadows" would be his next project, "if I ever finish this one here."





Before Lestat, Angel, and Edward Cullen, there was Barnabas Collins, a 175-year-old vampire who stalked the town of Collinsport, Maine pining for his lost love. Originally, the character of Barnabas, played by Jonathan Frid, was only intended for a 13-week story arc on "Dark Shadows," but he caused such a sensation with viewers he became the lead character for the next four years. The show spawned two movies in the early '70s, a revived series in 1991, and a pilot that was not picked up for series in 2004.
Depp would play Barnabas, a role that has been a lifelong dream. Depp has said he loved the show as a child: "I was obsessed with Barnabas Collins. I have photographs of me holding Barnabas Collins posters when I was five or six." Depp has been pursuing the movie adaptation for years, buying the remake rights through his production company, Infinitum-Nihil.
Burton has also spoken about his fascination with the original show. He told the Los Angeles Times, "It had the weirdest vibe to it. I'm sort of intrigued about that vibe." He also spoke about the recent influx of vampire movies: "It's like any great fable or fairytale, it's got a power to it... There's something symbolic about it that touches people in different ways."
While both Depp and Burton seem excited to start work on what will be their eighth collaboration, production might have to wait until after Depp finishes work on the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.


So it may be a while before Depp bares his fangs as a vampire. If "Dark Shadows" also hits theaters in 2011, it could be up against the final "Twilight" film, "Breaking Dawn." But if it's delayed another year, audiences might be over their bloodsucker addiction. Still, it seems that if anyone can create a dark, atmospheric, and entrancing vampire tale, it would be Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.

This news coming is just in time for Halloween!!

Barnabas will be quickened once more!!

Sparkling bat wings

Bee

Fairy Crowns & Circlets

by Ishani

All I can say about this search... Is -->

OOoooo--- AHHHhhhhh

Some of these are to die for!!!!

*~*Crowns and Head pieces*~*

http://heartsongs-crystal-wands-crowns.com/goddess_crowns_and_tiaras.htm

http://www.ibelieveinfaeries.com/citadel/index.htm

http://www.somethingelsestudio.com/headpieces-medieval-renaissance-wedding-attire.htm

http://www.avalon-fantasy.com/Aurora/Aurora_Collection.html

http://mystickalandmagickal.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=107&zenid=6d3665d107b02b995e1e4d1ecbec048c

Make up and Ears

"Fantasy look, fairy make up / face paints/ lashes for the fairy /ears/masks"



Now this was a fun search faerie fans, in fact I am still looking for MORE!!
Ideas galore, options options and more options. Now decisions and pratice on some of the make up ideas.. Hummmm? Maybe dye my hair...---> No, maybe some tinting?? Why not!!




Make up and body paint

http://www.stardustfairies.com/categories.asp?cID=11&c=185750

http://www.naturalexpressions.org/bodypaint.html

http://www.mooncostumes.com/item/6834

http://www.enchantedcostumes.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=93

http://www.mehron.com/Extreme_Beauty_Makeup_s/83.htm

lashs
http://www.shuuemura-usa.com/_us/_en/accessories/false-eyelashes/fantasy.aspx

http://mycrafttime.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&disp_order=2&page=3


http://www.makebelieve.com/detail/KR-91303.html




ears & cuffs

http://www.aradanicostumes.com/elfears.php

http://thyme2dream.silkfair.com/store/category/2031


masks


http://www.falconrose.com/FALCONROSE/HOMEx.html


http://www.gypsyrenaissance.net/celestialvisions/celestialvisions.html

Fairy dress, Costume Idea's

BAD FAIRY *~* Good Fairy *~* Woodland Fairy*~*






Oh, me -o- my costume lovers.... So many wonderful idea's so little time. I think if I could I would only wear costumes ? LOL

Would that be great!!!

I have posted a list of web sites that had great selections and lots of bits and bobs to add to you own creations...


All sorts of Idea's here.

http://store.sacredmists.com/gowiridr.html

http://www.polkadotinc.com/

http://www.thefaerycrossing.com/Faerylinks/clothing.tml
http://www.extremecostumes.com/gothwomen.htm
http://www.pearsonsrenaissanceshoppe.com/PrincessBrides.html

http://bellirosa.com/store/index.php?cPath=109&main_page=index
http://www.costumeholidayhouse.com/search.asp
http://www.thedarkangel.co.uk/catalogue3.php?c=2
http://www.yourfantasycostume.com/

In Search Of....

Fairy wings.. above

http://www.bumpinthenightproductions.com/
http://www.fancyfairy.com/


Hi to all, Boy it has taken me a bit to get back here.. I am back.. Gardening has begun, and spring has sprung here at the Bee' s Cottage.. As of late I have been preparing for a a event this summer. Well I needed some fairy garb and of course I did not have anything at home I wanted to wear--> LOL. So in search of I have gone, and am still looking to complete my idea of a fairy look. So the next blogs entries are going to be places and stuff I have found ( in all price ranges) that are "FAIRY" I will add the links as well if I still have them to add.. ( I hate that I always loose links) all good sources in my opinion. I will let you all know what I choose when I am all done looking. I have some time still before I buy..


So lets begin with --> WINGS

Isis fairy wings used in the magical belly dance == http://www.zarifas.com/Belly_Dance_Fairy_Wings

Butterfly type fairy wings--> I like these !! A- lot so much variety and color..

http://www.ibelieveinfaeries.com/citadel/index.htm

These are expensive but different .

http://www.fairy-wings.com/posie.htm

http://www.artofwings.com/branches.htm

I am leaning towards these branch style ??

Happy Turkey Day

"THE QUEST"
A THANKSGIVING POEM
by Eudora S. Bumstead 1919



THERE once was a restless boy who dwelt in a home by the sea,
Where the water danced for joy and the wind was glad and free:But he said,
"Good mother, oh! let me go;For the dullest place in the world, I know,
Is this little brown house,Under the apple-tree.
"I will travel east and west;The loveliest homes I'll see;And when I have found the best,Dear mother, I'll come for thee. I'll come for thee in a year and a day, and joyfully then we'll hasten awayFrom this little brown house,This little old brown house,Under the apple-tree."
So he traveled here and there, But never content was he,Though he saw in lands most fair The costliest homes there be. Till he turned again with a wistful sigh to the little brown house,Under the apple-tree.
Then the mother saw and smiled,While her heart grew glad and free,"Hast thou chosen a home, my child?Ah, where shall we dwell?" quoth she, and he said, "Sweet mother, from east to west,The loveliest home, and the dearest and best, Is a little brown house,Under an apple-tree."

Credit Card Fraud

Today I blog about a serious subject, I have recently been effected by the increasing crime of Credit Card Fraud. Although I got off so easy compared to others, non the less it has taken its toll. It is so discouraging! If life is not hard enough,this crime just adds to the pile.. Luckily I watch my accounts, and keep up with what I spend.. I caught it early.. So now, its closing accounts, reopening and reissuing! This is a pain in the ass!!

So I have done some digging, and I will post some information here about helping yourself not to be a victim of CC fraud..

Hopefully this NEVER happens to any of you!! In my case the card number was being used in Saint Kitts & Nevis in the Caribbean!!

Hugs

Bee

Tips

When you use a credit card, you can be vulnerable to fraud, whether you pay online, over the phone, or even in person at your neighborhood grocery store.
If you think you've been the victim of fraud or a scam, immediately follow these steps. The faster you contact the proper authorities, the more likely you are to minimize the damage a scammer can do to your identity, your credit, and your bank account.

Close any affected accounts

Contact the genuine company or organization if you believe you've given sensitive information to an unknown source masquerading as that real company or organization. If you contact the real company immediately, they might be able to lessen the damage to you and others. Then:

Speak with the security or fraud department about any fraudulently accessed or opened accounts at every bank or financial institution you deal with, including credit card companies, utilities, Internet service providers, and other organizations that have your personal information

Online
Follow up with a letter and save a copy for yourself. When you open new accounts use strong passwords, not passwords such as your mother's maiden name, along with a new account number.

Change the passwords on all of your online accounts
When you change your passwords or open new accounts, use strong passwords.

What makes a strong password

To an attacker, a strong password should appear to be a random string of characters. The following criteria can help your passwords do so:
Make it lengthy. Each character that you add to your password increases the protection that it provides many times over. Your passwords should be 8 or more characters in length; 14 characters or longer is ideal.
Many systems also support use of the space bar in passwords, so you can create a phrase made of many words (a "pass phrase"). A pass phrase is often easier to remember than a simple password, as well as longer and harder to guess.
Combine letters, numbers, and symbols. The greater variety of characters that you have in your password, the harder it is to guess.

How to verify a site certificate

Always verify the security certificate issued to a site before submitting any personal information. Before you submit any personal information, ensure that you are indeed on the Web site you intend to be on.
In Internet Explorer, you can do this by checking the yellow lock icon on the status bar.
This symbol signifies that the Web site uses encryption to help protect any sensitive personal information—credit card number, Social Security number, payment details—that you enter. The lock only appears on sites that use an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection, which is typically used only on sites where you enter sensitive information.
Secure site lock icon. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption. Double-click the lock icon to display the security certificate for the site. This certificate is proof of the identity for the site.
When you check the certificate, the name following Issued to should match the site you think you are on. If the name differs, you may be on a spoofed site.
If you are not sure whether a certificate is legitimate, do not enter any personal information. Play it safe and leave the Web site. If the site does not require you to enter sensitive information, it probably won't display the lock icon.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports

In the United States, contact these three credit bureaus

Equifax (800) 525-6285

Experian (888) 397-3742

TransUnion (800) 680-7289

Get a copy of your report (victims of ID theft can receive copies of their credit reports for free) and ask that no new credit be granted without your approval.

Make sure your account is flagged with a "fraud alert" tag and a "victim's statement," and insist that the alert remain active for the maximum of seven years.

Send these requests in writing and keep copies for yourself
Review the reports carefully. Look for things like inquiries you didn't initiate, accounts you didn't open, and unexplained debts.

Record and save everything

As you complete all these steps to clear up the wrongdoing, always make print copies of documents for yourself, including e-mail messages, written correspondence, and records of telephone calls, and file them somewhere safe.
For telephone or in-person conversations, follow up with dated confirmation letters to the organization, and save a copy for yourself. State in the letter what was covered in the conversation, and list any follow-up items that you or the representative have committed to in the conversation.

Never Forget

Window in Heaven
Dedication To Marine Mothers

Embracing the bitter chill of emptiness,

As summer turns to twilight,

The rhythm of life revolves.

July presses whispers farewell,

Blue Stars weep for the fallen,

Gold Star tears search the sparkling night sky,

For a heavenly promise.

Author

Teresa McNair

Happy Birthday USMC

The United States Marine Corps was founded November 10, 1775 in (shockingly enough) at a bar found in Philadelphia named "Tun Tavern". It was decided over beers and bravado that if the colonies were to stem the invading hordes of bears, they would need to take the fight to straight to the bear’s lairs. Serving on land and at sea, early Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious raid on foreign soil in the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of the Corps’ first commandant, Capt. Samuel Nicholas. Since then the Marine Corps has contributed to virtually every conflict in our nations history. 294 Marines have been awarded the Medal of Honor. The first recipient was Corporal John F. Mackie, who during the attack on Fort Darling at Drewry’s Bluff, Virginia, "fearlessly maintained his musket fire against the rifle pits on shore, and when ordered to fill vacancies at guns caused by men wounded and killed in action, manned the weapon with skill and courage."
The term "flying Sergeant" has all but dropped from the Marine Corps lexicon. But in the early days of Marine Corps aviation, it was not uncommon to see a grease-stained mechanic working on an aircraft engine one minute and climbing into the cockpit or navigator’s seat the next. One such Marine was Robert G Robinson. Gunnery Sgt Robinson who was an observer in the First Marine Aviation Force was wounded 13 times in the chest, abdomen, legs, and nearly losing his left arm cleared a jam in his gun and fought off the 9 enemy scouts while his pilot Lt. Ralph Talbot was able to get the aircraft back across friendly lines. In mid-1919, Robinson was discharged from the Marine Corps and entered the Marine Corps Reserve as an officer. He retired four years later as a First Lieutenant and moved to St. Ignace, Michigan. He died at home on October 5, 1974, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Talbot, a native of Weymouth, Massachusetts, who himself shot down a German aircraft during the battle and evaded the numerically superior force, also was awarded the Medal of Honor. But Talbot, a one-time student at Yale University, was killed in a plane crash 11 days after the daring aerial battle. The pair were the first Marine aviators awarded the nation’s highest award for battlefield valor.
You can not talk about Marines without mentioning one of the most decorated Marines that ever served. Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller was a colorful veteran of the Korean War, four World War II campaigns, and expeditionary service in China, Nicaragua, and Haiti. He was the only Marine to win the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in combat.
A Marine officer and enlisted man for 37 years, General Puller served at sea or overseas for all but ten of those years, including a hitch as commander of the "Horse Marines" in China. Excluding medals from foreign governments, he won a total of 14 personal decorations in combat, plus a long list of campaign medals, unit citation ribbons and other awards. In addition to the Navy Crosses, the highest honor the Navy can bestow, he holds its Army equivalent, the Distinguished Service Cross.



Here are some of Chesty Puller’s more notable quotes..

"We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem."




"Don’t forget that you’re First Marines! Not all the Communists in hell can overrun you!"




"Paper-work will ruin any military force"




When an Army captain asked him for the direction of the line of retreat, Col Puller called his Tank Commander, gave them the Army position, and ordered: "If they start to pull back from that line, even one foot, I want you to open fire on them." Turning to the captain, he replied "Does that answer your question? We’re here to fight."At Koto-ri in Korea




"The mail service has been excellent out here, and in my opinion this is all that the Air Force has accomplished during the war."Chesty Puller in a letter to his wife while in Korea




"They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can’t get away from us now!"- Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC -This quote was made during the 1st Marine Divisions break out from Chosen Reservoir. When the Marines were cut off behind enemy lines and the Army had written them off as being lost because they were surrounded by 22 enemy divisions. The Marines made it out inflicting the highest casualty ratio on an enemy in history and destroying 7 entire enemy divisions in the process. An enemy division is 16500+ men while a Marine division is 12500 men.







Happy Birthday to Bee!!

November 10 - Old November Eve Old November Eve was celebrated on this date in olden times throughout the Scottish countryside. The Goddess Nicnevin as an aspect of Diana was honored with prayers and feasts, and it was believed she rode through the air with her entourage between the night hours of 9 and 10, and made herself visible to mortals on this night.Famous Hermetic philosopher and alchemist Paracelsus was born in Einsiedeln, Switzerland on approximately this date in 1493 (some sources list his date of birth as December 17, 1493). Paracelsus enjoyed exceptional healing powers and believed in a universal natural magic. Contrary to many writings about him, he was not a sorcerer or a practitioner of ceremonial magic (in fact, he was known to be somewhat skeptical of the so-called Black Arts); nevertheless, he did believe in astrology and often used magical astrological talismans (inscribed with planetary symbols) in his medical practice. He died a mysterious death in Salzburg in 1541.

The Mystical Absinthe AKA--> Green Fairy

Hi to all, Well I plan on purchasing some of this vintage liquid to have on hand for the hoildays.. So I thought with the recent change on the rulings of the sale of Absinthe in the US. (Currently several authentic absinthes are now available for purchase at liquor stores and bars in the US. This is a major breakthrough, as many brands will follow) I decided I would reaseach it well as I would like to purchase a good imported specimen. So I am underway, and I thought I would share some bits and pieces of information that I have learned.. One thing is that the "Wormwood Society" is based in Seattle, Washington which is very near me... Worm wood--> the magic ingredient..

Absinthe was invented in 1797 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first absinthe distillery in Switzerland and then moved to a larger one in Pontarlier, France in 1805. By the 1850's it had become the favorite drink of the upper class. Originally wine based, a blight in 1870's on the vineyards forced manufacturers to base it with grain alcohol. Everyone could now afford it. The bohemian lifestyle embraced it.
The Green Fairy (la fee verte) as it became commonly known, was most popular in France. Most days started with a drink and ended with the "green hour" (l'heure verte) as one or two or more were taken for its aperitif properties. It is interesting to note that it also has aphrodisiac and narcotic properties. Authors and artists were proponents for using it to induce creativity.

Absinthe's popularity soared from 1880 on. Advertisements touted it as being healthful. It was exported to New Orleans and reached the same acclaim in the United States. It was one of the few drinks considered lady-like and women freely enjoyed it in the coffee houses where it was most commonly served. Victorian era men however, found women freely enjoying absinthe distasteful.
In 1905, Jean Lanfray who was very intoxicated, murdered his wife. He supposedly only had two glasses of absinthe but none the less, his trial became known as the "Absinthe Murder". Prohibition movements were underway. Absinthe was singled out as the maddening culprit and became synonymous with alcohol. Experiments started to be conducted often by injecting large doses of the oil of wormwood into animals. Absinthism was named as a disease. On July 25th, 1912, the Department of Agriculture issued Food Inspection 147, which banned absinthe in America, and finally France followed in 1915.
But what is absinthe?


Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is therefore traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution (louche).

Simon and Schulter's "Guide to Herbs and Spices" tells us that Henri-Louis Pernod used aniseed, fennel, hyssop, and lemon balm along with lesser amounts of angelica, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg, and veronica. These ingredients were macerated together with wormwood plants. After leaving the mixture to sit, water was added and the mixture was distilled. Dried herbs, including more wormwood, were added to the distillate, which was then diluted with alcohol to give a concentration of about 75% alcohol by volume. Different absinthe manufacturers used slightly different ingredients, sometimes using calamus, which has been purported to have psychoactive effects.
In addition to these ingredients, manufacturers sometimes added other ingredients to produce the drinks emerald green color. Normally, this color was due to the presence of chlorophyll from the plants. However, in the event that the product was not properly colored, absinthe makers were known to add things like copper sulfate, indigo, turmeric, and aniline green. Antimony chloride was also used to help the drink become cloudy when added to water. Presumably modern makers of Pernod and absinthe use safer ingredients for their concoctions!

Famous Absinthe drinkers include:

Edouard Manet
Charles Baudelaire
Paul Verlaine
Arthur Rimbaud
Oscar Wilde
Ernest Dowson Edgar Degas

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Vincent Van Gogh
Adolphe Monticelli
Paul Gauguin
Alfred Jarry
Pablo Picasso

Ernest Hemingway

I found a couple of interesting drink recipes I will try..

Jonny Depp did not drink his this way in the Movie he stared in.. "From Hell" . He used the "traditional method" as described above..

The Mint Muse

1 1/2 oz. Lucid Absinthe

2 oz. Pineapple Juice

Muddled Mint Leaves

Lime Wedge

Topped with Sprite or 7-UP
Muddle mint leaves with lime wedge and add Lucid. Add ice and pineapple juice and shake briefly. Top with Sprite or 7-UP and add mint sprig.

Starry Night

2 1/2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka

1/2 oz. Lucid Absinthe

1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

Crushed chocolate cookie on rim

Garnish with Chinese Star Anise
In an ice filled shaker, add the vodka, Lucid, and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly and strain into the chocolate crumb-rimmed martini glass. Add the Chinese star anise.

Mermaids

I love this.. Some sparkling friends of mine love Mermaids.. So I had to blog some stories and lore...

Hugs Bee

The following mermaid poem was written in 1830.

The Mermaid

WHO would be A mermaid fair, Singing alone, Combing her hair, Under the sea, In a golden curl, With a comb of pearl, On a throne?

II.

I would be a mermaid fair;I would sing to myself the whole of the day;With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair; And still as I comb’d I would sing and say,“Who is it loves me? who loves not me?”I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall, Low adown, low adown, From under my starry sea-bud crown Low adown and around, And I should look like a fountain of gold Springing alone With a shrill inner sound, Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps Would slowly trail himself seven fold Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea would feel their immortality die in their hearts for the love of me.

III.

But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne and play with the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells,Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call, and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap From the diamond-ledges that jut from the dells; For I would not be kiss’d by all who would list, Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, woo me, and win me, and marry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea;Then all the dry pied things that be In the hueless mosses under the sea would curl round my silver feet silently, all looking up for the love of me. And if I should carol aloud, from aloft all things that are forked, and horned, and soft would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me.

*~*

The oldest form of the mermaid in mermaid mythology is the goddess Atargatis from Syria. A famous statue of Atargatis shows her as a woman from the waist up and a fish from there down. All sea goddesses inherit the sea's qualities. Just as the sea could be gentle and nurturing or violent and deadly, so could they. These are the same contradictory qualities we see in mermaids to this day: beautiful, cruel, tender, loving, destroying, etc. In a larger sense this is man's view of nature. The mermaid, a fantastic creature, is nature herself.


Mermaids in Celtic myths are always beautiful and usually friendly, even helpful to sailors and fishermen. However, when pushed, they can reveal an ugly side. In Scotland, they tell the story of the Knockdolion family who had a large house on the shore near Girvan. At night, a mermaid would come out of the water and sit on a large black rock. There she would comb her long blond hair and sing for hours. The lady of the Knockdolions felt that this serenade was annoying her baby, and ordered her servants to destroy the rock with heavy mallets. When the mermaid returned the next night and saw her favorite seat was gone, she sang:

Ye may think on your cradle--I'll think on my stane; And there'll never be an heir to Knockdolion again."
("Stane" means stone.)

Not long after, the baby's cradle was found overturned, and the baby dead beneath it. All the Knockdolion children died like this soon after they were born and the family became extinct. Celtic myths of destructive mermaids are not common but there are several.

Celtic Mythology: Ruad and the Mermaids

The British Isles, like Greece, have a strong bond with the sea. Celtic mythology is therefore full of stories of sea monsters, sea gods and of course mermaids. Ruad, a prince of Ireland, was crossing the sea to Norway in a fleet of three small ships. Suddenly, Ruad's ships stopped in the middle of the water and would not move. Ruad ordered his men to wait for him, and he dived into the water. Under each boat he found three beautiful women holding them fast. When the women saw him, they grabbed him and took him down to their land beneath the sea.
Notice the repetition of the number three. Three is a magic number in Celtic mythology.
He remained with them for nine days (nine is three times three), but wished to escape to his own world. He told them he was sad and missed his brother. He had been on his way to visit him when the women caught him. The women said that once he returned to the surface he would never want to come back, and refused for that reason to let him go. Ruad argued that if they really loved him they should trust him. Finally, they agreed to let him go if he promised to return. He gladly made the promise and left.
Returning to his ships he continued his journey to Norway and spent seven years with his brother. Finally, the day came when he had to return to Ireland. Of course he did not want to return to the land under the waves. He decided to leave at night and take the fastest boats he could find to outwit the sea women.
Under the sea, unknown to Ruad, one of the women he had slept with had had a son. When the women discovered that Ruad meant to break his promise, they took the child and headed after him in a bronze boat. This boat was very fast and began to catch up to Ruad. He ordered his men to row as fast as they could, but still he despaired of reaching Ireland again. However, luck was with him. Just as the bronze boat was about to come up to his, he reached land and jumped ashore. The women were angry beyond words. The boy's mother took Ruad's son and killed him, and threw his head on the beach. There were terrible screams of horror. From that time since that area has been known as Inber-n-Aillbine - the bay of the Awful Scream. This is the naming of names in Celtic mythology, an explanation of how a place came to have it's name.
The women turned their bronze boat out to sea and vanished forever over the horizon. According to Celtic mythology, Ruad returned to his kingdom but he was never brave enough to cross the sea again.

Celtic Mermaid Aine

The Goddess Aine has three forms: a mermaid, a young woman and a hag. As a Celtic mermaid she lives at the bottom of Lough Gur (Enchanted Lake). As a young woman she is a powerful creative goddess, who made the fairy people and gave life to the earth. As a hag she defends her realm under the lake.
One day, the Earl of Desmond found Aine in her Celtic mermaid form combing her hair by the lake. He sneaked up on her and stole her magic cloak, which put her in his power. (Compare this part of the story to "The Celtic Mermaid Wife" ) She agreed to bear the Earl a son in exchange for her freedom. This boy grew up to be exceptional in every way, once jumping into and out of a bottle. Later, due to a curse, he was condemned to spend eternity under the lake with his mother.
It is said that once every seven years Lough Gur dries up and you can see the sacred tree at the bottom of it. The tree is guarded by Aine in her hag form, while she knits the fabric of life. A man on horseback once tried to steal her cloth, but Aine made the waters of the lake retrieve the cloth, and a part of the horse as well.
The King of the Gold Mines was once accused of adultery by his wife-to-be because he was given a present by Aine. In her Celtic mermaid form she has made a likeness of him out of magic seaweed. The story ends tragically when the king is killed and his betrothed dies of grief. Mermaid Aine changed the lovers into two palm trees that grow together.