Day in the Life... Wedding Photoshoot

Heading out to Stillwater for a Wedding dress photoshoot for KMK Designs!

I just bairly had my coffee. So I look a little rough right now.

Doing my Makeup for the shoot. Our makeup artist called in sick.

It's a good thing I brought some of my personal stuff with me.

This is Rebecca Alex doing a fantastic job on my hair!

See! I told you... Though my hair decided to fight back and fall out all day.

This head piece is from Samantha the owner of Blasphemina's Closet.

Trying on some beautiful jewelry that my fellow model Sabra brought with.

This is the first outfit from KMK Designs Color Me Lovely Spring Line.

This is the same dress that I wore at the last runway show.

Yes, that is me on a very steep hill.

The other lady up there was our amazing photographer Karrah Kobus.

It was rather hard getting up there without getting the dress all muddy.

"Back stage" photo from Kaitlyn's cell phone.

After the shoot. Sitting at home I look so worn out.

But it was totally worth it because.....

Here are some of the finished photos!!

They make me so proud.

I love when a group of artists are able to come together and create something so beautiful!

Thanks again to KMK Designs, Karrah Kobus, and Rebecca Alex!

Holy Busy: the last month at a glance

So, its been over a month since I have even looked at my blog.
Let me catch you all up with photos...

MAYDAY!!!!

"It is the first of May'o it is the First of May.

Remember Minnesota, it is the First of May!"

Out in the snow and the cold watching the Mayday Parade.

I added 2 new family members! Equinox and Witch Hazel.

Started up my crafting business. Check out the Briar Patch on facebook for more info!

There was a Catalog shoot for KMK Designs for their spring line.

The Guthrie had a wonderful Costume Ball.

There was a handfasting that I help with for a couple friends of mine.

In the rain.. and the flooding of the lake. :)

And finally this last saturday I had another photoshoot with Photosynthetique and my friend Murphy.

Like I said, busy busy busy!

Next weekend is another Renaissance Festival. I have a good friend of mine from Ohio coming into town. There is the Coven Midsummer. Along with the MSRA Back to the Fifties Show. Bridal shoot. And of course, DANCING!!! I hope to get some of those pictures up soon.

I am a Snake Woman

I am the snake woman. I shed my skin and start anew.

I always try to take a very open stance in everything that I do. Being as diplomatic as I can with different situations in my life is a challenge, but I feel is necessary. Most people think that I am almost too nice and get walked on way too often. I get bullied and pushed around and still manage to smile. I flow with the current, just trying to carve out a little place of my own. But a time of change has come again.

I have been in this change for a couple months now and I think it is time to make it official. I am shedding the skin of the last Crystal and becoming who I truly am in this moment. And I am finding that this transition is actually feeling really good! For I am a person who needs to live in the moment.

I was sitting at home last night, covered in my herd of cats, and an overwhelming sense of peace settled over me. I realized that I’ve been concerned about getting peoples approval about who I am and the actions that I take for so long, that I forgot the joy in who I really am and the life that I have created. Everything became more of a task than actual joy. The teaching that I do was a burden… the people that look to me for advice were frustrating… and life was just work, work, work. But as I was sitting surrounded by my loving cats, my mind flipped. That’s the only way I can describe it. I was once again looking forward to dancing with my beautiful women on Monday. I was relaxed and comfortable sleeping in the middle of my bed. Instead on sleeping on the side and feeling that emptiness behind me.  I am just happy with me!

With the changes that have happened in the last couple months, I have realized how awesome my friends truly are. I find that I am feeling fulfilled without having the stereotypical achievements in my life. True, I am 26, not married and no children. I am ok with that. In this space and time, that is not what I’m looking for to live a fulfilled life. Not saying that that won’t change in the future, but I live in the ebb and flow of life. Right now I can feel a creative rush coming to engulf me. Manifesting in a number of different directions, and I plan on embracing every bit of it! Dancing how the energy moves me. I’m building my coven class courses for my student to find their own inner power. I’m going to even try my hand at vending at Summerland Spirit Festival this year. I plan on going to art shows, musical events, dance, theater, basically anything and everything that sparks my fancy.

I am the snake woman. And I have shed my skin!

Loving life!

So, a lot has happened since I last posted. Let me catch you up really quickly!

PAGANICON 2011!!!!!!!
This was the first year that the Minneapolis pagan community decided to extend the normal Pagan Pride weekend into an actual convention. It was hosted at the Double Tree in St Louis Park on March 25th-27th. I can’t talk enough about it.
First off, it was really nice to see my friends from the Chicago and Kansas Pagan Community (though we didn’t really have enough time to talk). The workshops were great! They were not the standard 101 classes like we always seem to have at PP. But they were more advanced and involved. A number of them were also focused on the history of this place we call "Paganistan" and how to improve our community. I saw a lot of main players in the community getting really encouraged with the discussions that we were having and I know we are bringing that back with us. The guest speaker was John Michael Greer, and though I was unable to make any of his workshops, I did have breakfast with him and he is an awesome guy!
Over all I am really looking forward to next year! Just imagine.... a pagan gathering where there is no in fighting, a HUGE dessert buffet, drumming and singing into the night, and NO BUGS!!!!!!! It’s not a dream :)

WITCH SISTERS NIGHT OUT
In this wonderful community of mine we have A LOT of people. So many that even though I seem to be well know in the community, I still don’t know half of them. A couple years ago a friend of mine named Penny decided that we were going to try and remedy this. Hence Witch Sisters Night Out was born. It started off with about 7 of us meeting at the Happy Gnome and enjoying a few drinks and laughs. It has now progressed into a full blown ladies night. The last gathering was on April 8th at Ol' Mexico. We had over 70 people RSVP and say they were going to show up. I was only able to make it for a bit since I was teaching that night. But the crowd was wonderful! I got to see old friends, people that I haven’t seen in over a year, and new friends. (PS the peach 25oz margarita was to die for!) So if you are in the neighborhood and hear about it, I suggest you check it out and get to know your fellow witches!

EQUINOX EN VOGUE
So I am a plus sized model her in the twin cities. This past Monday April 11th I got to walk in a runway show with one of my favorite designers. KMK Designs is a clothing line that is based in Stillwater, MN. I have worked with them on a number of different projects including catalog as well as runway. This mother and daughter team are the nicest people in the world!!! But anyways, back to the show. It was at the Jungle Theater in uptown. Now, I have never been there before but I highly suggest it since it is a beautiful location! The show went off without a hitch. Their spring line was the most beautiful I've seen. My outfit was AMAZING. I literally walked out on stage and was welcomed by an overwhelming "AWWW!" from the crowd. This is the first time in all the shows that I've done, that I have ever heard that. It put the biggest smile on all our faces and an extra spring in my step! I had such a good time and can’t wait until I get to see all the pictures and video.

Along with all these wonderful gatherings, I’ve had my normal teaching classes, dancing, and general goofing off with my boyfriend. But like I said before… I love my life! <3

Ostara Fire Play

So, I am very proud of this!
First off, I hate computers. Second, I haven’t used my digital camera in over 2 years. Third, I haven't done any fire performing in the last 2.5 years. Fourth, I've never edited a video before.

Now put all that together and you can imagine my frustration at trying to make this video. I want to thank Bret for getting me off my butt and having me light up. It has been too long. I also want to thank my friend Chris for pressing the record button!

Please let me know what you think of it!

Ostara

Spring is in the air, I can feel it! Even in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, there are signs letting us all know we will thaw out eventually!

This weekend, we will be celebrating Ostara, otherwise known as the Spring Equinox. You might be wondering, “Say, don’t you mean Easter?” No I don’t. Being as politically correct as possible: what do chocolate bunnies and colored eggs really have to do with a dying man? Answer: NOTHING!

Those are traditions that have been around long before Jesus might have ever crawled out of a tomb.

This is the time of year where we start to celebrate new life. The image of the egg shows the potential growth for the coming year. Dyeing the eggs bright colors is twofold. It can represent the buds of the flowers starting to grow and bloom. (We need that in Minnesota since there is still snow on the ground, too cold for flowers yet.) And it’s a way to help cement the things that you want to bring into your life this year. Dyeing an egg pink for love, green for health, etc…

There is also a fun little activity that you can do with eggs only at the equinox. Take a raw egg and find a nice flat surface. The floor of your kitchen or cement outside works well. And minutes before through minutes after the true equinox you will be able to balance the egg standing up! (Put the fatter side facing down) This exercise is a good way to visually see how the world is shifting from dark to light.

All winter we have been in the dream time, the dark time. It has been a time for us to catch needed rest and relaxation, and start to plan out our goals for the coming year. In the tradition of my coven, we follow the lovely Persephone out of Hades and into the world once again full of life.

As you make the transition for yourself out of the dream time, think on these questions: Are there things in your life that you do not want to bring with you into the coming year? Are there actions or habits that you would like to get rid of? If there are, as you make that walk out of Hades yourself, leave those unwanted things behind. Let them stay with the dead deep in the earth as we welcome the spring and new life again. You can even light a candle to represent that the light is here.

So enjoy your Ostara baskets! Color those eggs! Laugh with the joy that spring is almost here!

Bright Blessings

People Passing

I’ve had a few people in my life who have moved onto the other side. Most recently (yesterday) one that I didn’t even know was again having health issues. And it got me thinking.

Now, almost all traditions have some idea of what the afterlife holds for us. It might be going to the Elysium Fields, Valhalla, Heaven, etc. You might believe in reincarnation. You might also be a person that believes that when we die, we just decompose.  Though most of us like to flower it up and believe there is something more after our days of walking in this life time are over.

I thought it would be nice to just take a little stroll through the afterlife options and share my opinion. Not saying in any way that is what you have to believe. But this is MY belief.

Recently I have been working a lot with the Greek pantheon. There are 3 different lands you might go to when you travel across the River Styx. The Elysium Fields, where the people who have more good in their life than sin may roam freely and enjoy the beauty to be found there. Asphodel Fields are where the people who have more sin than good wander, this is also known as the Field of Punishment. Then there is Tartarus where the people who have defied the gods, monsters, and people who were nothing but evil reside and are punished. (Think worse than the movie Little Nicky… though Hitler with the pineapple makes me smile) Those who reside in the Elysium Fields do have the chance, when they are ready, to drink from the River of Forgetting and be reborn.

I like the idea of having a place to rest and basically digest everything that I learned in this life time. R&R is needed in everything that we do. But the concept of being stuck Forever in a place, even as nice as the Elysium Fields, I’d get bored quickly and it would become its own version of torture. Drinking from the River of Forgetting allows us reincarnation. The chance to live again, try something new, learn new skills and feed our souls full of more knowledge.  Though unlike the Greeks, I do not believe we forget everything. Some knowledge stays within us, dormant, until we need it in the next life. Haven’t you every experienced an innate knowing of something? Been taught a concept or idea that just clicked with you and you knew exactly what they were talking about from the get go? Some people are able to recall past lives. For the most part I am just happy knowing that I have been before and I will be again.

Sorry this was the short and sweet version of Greek afterlife. I might go more in depth at another time. But as of right now, I’m exhausted.

EXTRA EXTRA!!! NEWSIES IN THE SKYWAY!

On my way to lunch saw a whole bunch of Newsies in the Skyway.
This one even offered to break into a song and dance for me :)

Oy Vey

So… Here I go world!
People have been asking me for a LONG time to start a blog.
I don't know how often I will write. I don't know what I'll be writting about.
But you asked for it!

Hi! I'm Crystal :D

The readers digest version of me is:
Single curvy red head (that sounds like a dating ad :P ) with a cat.
I have a very busy life. I’ve been practicing Pagainism for about 13 years now. I’m part of a wonderful coven. I teach classes, help build and run rituals, plan retreats, etc.
I'm also a fire performer and belly dancer; though I haven’t been "lighting up" in the last couple years. Still love the art form. I’ve been dancing ATS with some ladies here in the Twin Cities for 9 months now. I danced Egyptian style over 8 years ago and am falling in love with ATS!
I’m a crafter. I’m a make-up artist. I model for a couple designers… Basically I do whatever calls to me!

This will just be a collection of my life.
Tonights task, popping an Ikea cherry for a friend of mine! Wish me luck!! :D

Bright Blessings