Down The Rabbit Hole: October 2016

One thing that baffles me is the idea of other people having an interest in what's catching my attention and sending me down rabbit holes. Nevertheless, I've had enough people ask that it's time to consider a routine blog post to sum it all up. I'm willing to give it a try and start with a monthly post. Here's the rundown. Let me know what you think. 

Reading and Bookish Things

• I'm on the road a great deal this month and I really enjoy listening to bookish podcasts to make the journey more pleasing. Currently, I'm loving What Should I Read Next. 

• For some reason I've become obsessed with collecting and showcasing Lost World genre books. Especially anything written or inspired by the Victorian adventure writers. I'm on the hunt for books by H. Rider Haggard and scored a vintage copy of "Allan Quartermain" this month from a charming Etsy seller, Box Thirteen.  This has led me to discover the real life female adventurer, Gertrude Bell, so I'm reading "A Woman In Arabia: The Writings of the Queen of the Desert."

Stationery

• I'm really digging glassine envelopes for my Halloween parcels. They add a nice touch.

• Cataloging my fountain pen inks has become a thing for me. This is totally inspired by a weekly post by Anderson Pens called thINKthursday.  In no way am I comparing my ink catalog entries to their magnificent works of art, but they have raised the bar to a new level and that gets me excited. 

Creativity and Florida Life

• As usual, my neighbors are creating magic in their garden and inspiring what will most likely be holiday party gifts. This year they've started putting air plants in oyster shells. I'm in love with the look. 

• I've gone nuts over Saints of Old Florida. The blog, the Instagram, the book - it's all heavenly. 

Note: All items purchased with my own money. This is not a sponsored post. Please be advised that some of the links provided are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase using those links.  This does not cost you any extra when you make a purchase. Thank you for your support.

Outgoing: Bewitched Mail

This month's outgoing snail mail intends to enchant recipients. I've used my favorite kraft envelopes, calligraphy, rubber stamps, and coffee stained ephemera to cast a spell. Pen pal goodies have been tucked into a glassine envelope seal with a blood red wax seal. I'm pleased with the overall look. If you are curious about the types of goodies pen pals send to one another, check out the following video I filmed last year for ideas. 

Witchy Wednesday: My Halloween Workspace

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. I get to pretend I'm a set decorator for shows like Penny Dreadful. One of my favorite past times is figuring out how to recreate props I see on spooky tv shows. Part of the fun is trying to do it all for very little money. This gets the creative juices flowing.

This year I wanted to transform my letter writing desk into a witch's desk. Most of the items used were things I already had around the house. My biggest purchase was extra candles. I find them for a good price at Ikea. A full tour of my desk transformation is provided in the video below. Big thank you to my favorite witchy YouTubers for inspiration: Rosy Moon May, Amethyst, and HerSpeak.