Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

Tag: life

  • Finally Feeling Fine…Lost Weeks and Drag Queens

    I had the flu, or something similar to the flu the week of the 27th. I was achy, coughy, sleepy, barely moving and just generally blah for approximately a week. I watched a whole lot of Netflix (the new season of Sex Education is beautiful) and more crappy rom coms than I can shake a stick at. I lost an entire week being barely conscious and incredibly icky.

    Then on the first day I was almost feeling human (Sunday) I went with my mom and my sister to a brand new drag brunch in Columbus at Local Cantina called the Moustache Riders Drag Brunch (interesting note the name of their house margarita is The Moustache Rider.) The food, and drinks, were delicious. The entertainment was top notch. We will definitely go again.

    I am finally feeling truly better and healthier and I am trying to get myself back on track.

  • The Ugly Ornament Exchange 2019/2020

    The Ugly Ornament Exchange 2019/2020

    Our family (Meaning my mothers sisters and their families) started a tradition a couple of years ago where instead of buying each other presents we instead do an ugly ornament exchange. We always hold our family Christmas on New Year’s Day now, and the ornament exchange has become an important part of these traditions.We do it much like a white elephant exchange using our family’s rules for that which is slightly different from the traditional white elephant. Our rules are this:

    1. Everyone brings a gift wrapped ornament and places them under the tree. Generally we try to over decorate, because you want your present to be incredibly tempting.
    2. We draw numbers/ or this year went youngest to oldest to pick a present.
    3. When it is your turn you can choose a package from under the tree, or you can steal from someone else.
    4. You cannot immediately steal a package back, there has to be another action between the steals.
    5. Usually we set a 3 steal limit, meaning on the third steal the gift stays with the person who stole it.
    6. Once we all have gone and everyone has a package we open them and see the rewards of our work.

    It is immensely satisfying when your package is highly sought after when you know that your ornament is absolutely horrifying. Of course, ugly is in the eye of the beholder and some of my absolutely favorite ornaments are ones that have come to me by way of an ugly ornament exchange.

    Some of the best places to find ugly ornaments: Michaels, World Market (both of ours came from here this year, as well as a gift of a tacosaurus ornament for my cousin Robby and his new wife Sharon), Target and ,sadly, Hobby Lobby. Though I no longer shop there many of my family members do. My mother swears by Walmart as well, but I have not had the luck she has. Joann’s is a crapshoot.

    All this being said, below are the spoils of this year’s exchange. Seth and I came home with a giant pug head and a rather frightening ballerina. My mother and sister a toilet and a monkey. My aunt Gayle’s family took home a sasquach, a cow, a vw bug wearing antlers and a giant mollusk shell. My aunt Cathy’s family gathered a clip on palm tree, a baby in a buggy, an angler fish (my contribution and man is it ugly!) and a seahorse. My older sister will be receiving my husband’s choice in the mail which is a six pack of santa beer. Photos below for ogling and horror.

     

  • What I got done in the last three months…

    What I got done in the last three months…

    • Wench photo with the Queen!
    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.
    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Get autographs from Rasputina (Melora Creager)
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Get Wench tattoo
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Do a writers night.
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Wench invasion of the Krampus Walk
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.

    Wench invasion of Columbus Zoo was a small but mighty event. We got our picture taken with Santa. The invasion of the Cincinnati Zoo is happening this weekend.

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    • Wench invasion of Kentucky Dickens Festival
    • Set up Christmas trees

    Our tree did go up this year (last year it never happened.) It did make me feel more festive.

    • Christmas Party

    We did not have a party of our own, but I attended a couple and enjoyed them more than if I had to plan them.

    • Attend Roaring 20s New Year Party

    We have tickets to attend a party at The Forge gaming tavern. I am super excited about it.

  • Happy Halloween!

    Happy Halloween!

    As a child I was at once terrified of Halloween and in love with it. When we would walk past the racks of masks and decorations in the store I would cry, or close my eyes and hide because it all scared me. I was often scared of other trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood, their costumes being to scary for the incredibly timid, shy and easily scared me.

    Once my mom worked very hard to make me a Miss Piggy costume, but a kid in our neighborhood was dressed as a very spooky wolf with light up red eyes. I was no fool and read a lot of fairy tales, so I knew my little piggy self would not stand a chance against that wolf on the street. I made my mom take me home early, because the promise of candy was not enough for me to risk getting torn to bits by that wolf. Did I know in my head that it was just another kid in a costume, yes, but to my incredibly active imagination there was a chance, however small, that the wolf was real and I was at risk.

    I was a child with an overactive imagination and Halloween was sometimes just too much for my poor head to wrap around. I also had very little understanding of the line between fantasy and reality (my first crushes were on Disney’s Robin Hood and Kermit the Frog and I did not consider either of them to be anything less than real). It is an issue that I still occasionally have problems with, but at least now I can usually tell the difference between a monster and a mask on a wall.

    Halloween would grow from a force of fear and fascination into a proper obsession. Many of my everyday home decor comes from the Halloween decor in stores; skulls, bats, ravens, crows, and the occult. Every year less and less of our Halloween decorations are taken down, so the house gets more and more Halloween all year round. I think it is amazing that I am still somewhere inside the little girl who would hide her face when Halloween was out in the stores. Maybe I am just the brave woman that a scared little girl becomes when she faces her fears. If you can’t beat it embrace it?

    Halloween Blessings!

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  • Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    Rest of 2019 Bucket List – Updated With Pictures!!

    • Wench photo with the Queen!

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    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.

    Done!! I am beginning my classes on Monday!! I am so excited and feel so positive about this. I also designed and ordered myself some business cards with my website and social media info on them.

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    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Get autographs from Rasputina (Melora Creager)
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Wench invasion of Kentucky Dickens Festival
    • Set up Christmas trees
    • Christmas Party
    • Attend Roaring 20s New Year Party

  • Bucket List For the Rest of 2019

    This is the list of things I would like to do before the end of 2019. Some of these may seem easy, but have issues associated. Many involve a lot of moving parts, so that makes them challenging. Let’s see how many I cross off. I will revisit as I get things done.

    • Wench photo with the Queen!
    • Get my major changed to creative Writing.
    • Attend both days the last weekend of Ohio Renaissance Festival
    • Finish Blogtober strong (I get a book if I do)
    • Rennie outing to Book Loft?
    • Participate and succeed in NaNoWriMo (Are you participating? Link me BetsySnowWhite)
    • Photo with Krampus!
    • Photo with Santa and the Wenches
    • Wench invasion of Columbus and Cincinnati Zoo.
    • Set up Christmas trees.
    • Christmas Party
    • Roaring 20s New Year Party

    I think that is it…though I may add and subtract things as I go along.

  • The State of My State…update.

    The State of My State…update.

    So…I have spoken with my advisor at school and as soon as I get my personal statement to her I will be officially changed to a Creative Writing major. I am so relieved and excited to get started on the right path for me.

    I am also going to do NaNoWriMo this year. I have never even tried this before, but I feel very drawn to write this year. I am trying to decide if I want to share what I am working on here or not. What do you think? Are you interested in reading my very rough drafts? Let me know.

    This week I am going to see Heels of Horror XII by Nina West on Friday, back to the Renaissance Festival on Saturday, a Halloween party Saturday Night and David Sedaris on Sunday. Whew! This is going to be chaotic fun. I have decided to be one of the gang members from The Warriors, specifically a Bowery Punk. Overalls, a rugby shirt and roller skates for the win!!

    My older sister will also be in town this week, so I get to meet her boyfriend who none of us have met. It is going to be a great week.

    Any big plans this week?

  • An October Wedding

    An October Wedding

    Today my cousin Robby married his wonderful now wife Sharon. It was a beautiful and meaningful ceremony officiated by Sharon’s sister Colleen. Robby and Sharon have bonded over there mutual love of certain nerdy/dorky topics, so the wedding was full of Harry Potter (Robby proposed to Sharon at Hogwarts in Universal Studios), Jurassic Park, Star Wars and other fun pop culture elements. Sharon wore a beautiful and simple white dress that was made for her, and a pair of white Converse Chuck Taylor’s. I am so happy for my cousin and I wish the two of them happiness and joy. Congrats you two!!

  • Do You Even Witch?

    Do You Even Witch?

    I have been a practicing witch since I was about 16 years old. It started for me, as it did for many people my age, with the movie The Craft. I was a sophomore the movie came out and I went with a group of friends to see it. I immediately began wearing short pleated skirts and button down white shirts. And from the Waldenbooks in the mall I bought two books one day that fall: The Witches Almanac and True Magick by Amber K. I snuck them into my house like they were porn rather than books, and began my secret education.

    True Magick by Amber K is not a bad book, in fact much of it is great in regards to Wiccanism, but it also suggested that you not wear makeup, wear only natural fabrics (I was super into vintage clothes and basically lived in polyester) and that if you eat meat you cannot be a Wiccan because you have no empathy for other creatures. I was very into the idea of The Goddess and The God, and polytheism, and spell work, and many more parts of Wiccanism, but I also loved makeup and polyester so maybe it was just not for me. This did not stop me from stupidly attempting a love spell however…but that is another story.

    Then I found out a local metaphysical shop was going to be hosting a Wicca 101 class. I asked my mom, and she said that she would give her permission for me to take the class since I was under 18. The class was taught by a lovely, and very pregnant, woman named Heather. She gave a lot of the basic information on creating a magickal name, calling the quarters, creating holy water, and so much more. I attended all of the classes except the last one, because it was a ritual and I was too nervous to be involved.

    After the class though, I began to read, study, and actually began to build a practice. I set up an altar (my mom nicknamed it Waltar and it stuck and my sacred space remains Waltar to this day.), I was gifted and began reading Tarot, and though it was on and off at the time I was becoming a Witch.

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    When I was 18 I took that Wicca 101 class again, and this time it did not feel so overwhelming. I felt like I belonged there as much as anyone else did. I was beginning to see myself as a Witch. I was still mostly using Wiccan guidelines, but I had begun reading about other types of Witches and what the difference between a Wiccan and a Witch is. I bought my first piece of witchy jewelry, a gorgeous silver pentacle ring that has been lost over the years. I finished the class this time, which ended with a beltane ceremony including maypole dancing. It was lovely and I knew I had found a place.

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    Over the years my craft has moved and morphed, I now consider myself an eclectic cottage art witch. I tend to make magic with whatever is on hand, rather than requiring special tools. I have been dedicated to Odin the All-Father for almost 7 years after years of him trying to get my attention. I work with a wide pantheon that includes traditional and pop pantheon figures. I firmly believe that magic works best when it reflects you, so if that means that the person you petition for beauty is Aphrodite or Rupaul both are valid.

    Are you looking for some witchy inspiration? I am a patron for several lovely magical ladies on Patreon:

    Molly Roberts    Youtube    Patreon

    Joanna DeVoe    Podcast     Youtube     Patreon

    Paige – The Fat Feminist Witch   Podcast    Patreon

    Cris Ashburn   Youtube    Patreon

    These women are inspiring, knowledgeable, fun, and all around gorgeous human beings. Check them out and be in awe and inspired! I cannot recommend them more.

     

  • The Ghost of Halloween Past…

    The Ghost of Halloween Past…

    So, what are your favorite costumes? I was thinking about what I might want to do this year. In the past little bit I have been A Reveur, a black widow spider, so many witches (in a pinch I will default to witch.), Daria, a traveler, steampunk something, a flapper, sexy snow white, a pageant kid/ toddler in a tiara, and probably more but I am blanking. More than likely this year I will witch again, but I might be inspired.

    I was considering going as a member of one of the random gangs from The Warriors. I especially love the ones wearing overalls and roller skates. Very tempting!

    What are your favorite costumes? Do you have a default costume just in case? Are you planning to dress up this year?