So what sort of improvements did I make? The sort a good number of folks just like you requested - a shorter newsletter with more meat. And that'll be good for everybody concerned. You'll actually have time to read YBR when it arrives, mark your calendars for events in your area, and then go on with your life. And I? Well, I won't have to spend two weeks working on something that you won't have time to read! What could be better than that?! LOL!
That said, it's hard to believe that the year is more than half done. But I, for one, am damned glad it is - for the fact of the matter is that I'm worn to a frazzle! Yeah...I decided to take some time off the road this year, and that's exactly what I did. What I'd really had in mind, though, was a little R & R. A little time to kick back and regroup. And while I was at it, maybe even a little time to write a book.
But that's not what happened. Not at all.
Instead, I wound up working harder than I've ever worked in my life. [There really is no rest for the weary - especially when the weary is wicked! Chuckle!] With the popularity of my signed and numbered limited edition altar cloths on the rise, I decided it was time to formally launch my new online store, Wicked Witch Studios, and become a legal business. [Gods know the Commonwealth of Virginia wants her sales and use tax money! ;)] Of course, that opened up a whole new can of worms. It meant putting everything on hold for a week or so while I researched bookkeeping programs that wouldn't make me want to pull my hair out by the roots, get the business set up, and - because my usual organized mess of paper and receipt piles just wouldn't do in this case - implement a real, live filing system.
And then...I got on with the business of being in business. I sewed until the world looked level. I filled orders. I spent hours at the design board creating new products, and tweaking old ones. And once that was done, I added a whole new assortment of personally handcrafted goodies with the elegant practitioner in mind: checkbook covers, handbags, totes and ritual carry-alls, patterns, a variety of non-limited edition altar cloths and wall hangings, and Dixie Dolls - a fabulous little chew toy that not only looks like a poppet, but can be used as one - for our canine friends.
Now that should've been enough to keep me busy - I am still, after all, tweaking the pattern for a really cool tarot bag - but my Muses didn't think so. [I swear they must've been Marine Corps drill sergeants in some former life.] So between sewing ten to twelve hours a day, and keeping the road hot to the fabric stores, the office supply and post office, they insisted I stop for a coffee break. Not just any old coffee break, though, mind you. It was a work-related one designed to launch my very own new brand of coffee: Wicked Witch Mojo Beans. ;)
The coffee line is something I'd wanted to do for a very long time, but several things had always kept it from coming together. For one thing, the coffee blends had to be positively exquisite. For another, the beans had to be fresh. And, of course, I had to find an experienced roaster who not only shared my work ethic, but could deliver exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. Okay...I'll admit it: What I really wanted was an experienced, coffee-roasting Witch who shared my work ethic, and had no patience whatsoever with Pagan Standard Time. [Yeah...like that was going to happen! Chuckle!]
Well, believe it or not, it did. All of it. My every requirement was met - even the coffee-roasting Witch, who's so much like me, it's scary - so I tasted coffee blends, and found two I thought were absolutely perfect: a dark roasted peaberry mixture called Black Magic, and Hoodoo, a medium roasted blend of Mexican and Bali Moon beans with a touch of Hawaiian peaberry. I have to tell you that both these blends are absolutely to-die-for - and once you taste them, you'll be turning up your nose at the brands that used to provide your morning coffee fill. [For more information or to order, surf on over to Wicked Witch Mojo Beans - and find out how to bring some magic to your morning! You'll be glad you did!]
Once I got everything up and running with the coffee line, I thought my Muses would take a breather and run off to the Spirit Spa [or where ever it is they go when they refuse to heed my calls] for a little R & R. But apparently, they weren't done with me yet. For right in the middle of getting Wicked Witch Mojo Beans launched, they not only came up with yet another idea, but chose to pester me with it in the only place I thought was beyond their boundaries: the bathroom. Even worse, they chose to interfere with my one guilty pleasure: a nice, long, hot soak in the tub.
Well...I can only stand so much aggravation. So I cut the bath short, went back to work, and before the evening was out, managed to come up with several pages of ideas for a brand new line of candles, oils, and incenses. A fun but effective line that didn't require obscure ingredients or a ton of "before use" prep time. A line that worked quickly, efficiently, and produced real results - even for folks with little or no magical experience. And after a bit of brainstorming over recipes and product with Jacki and Patty of Coventry Creations, the Wicked Witch Mojo line was born!
Needless to say, I'm very excited about this line. We started with 9 different candle/oil/incense products - Flying Monkeys, Come to Mama, Makin' Tracks, and It Sucks To Be You, just to name a few - and debuted them at the International New Age Trade Show in Denver. And if the response to the products there - or at the Wicked Witch Mojo Launch Party at Morgana's Elementals in Winchester, Virginia - is any indication, other folks are, too! So...I just got word that we'll be releasing at least 7 more combos before the end of the year. And that's exciting news, too!
In other news, I also managed to pack a bag or two, and hit the touring road for visits with old friends and new. I attended OstaraFest - a great festival hosted by Sisters of the Earth and Sea - in Harker Heights, TX [sending huge hugs to Joyce, Laurie, Doug, and Butch], the Pagan Unity Festival in Burns, TN [winking and waving at Tish Owen and her wonderful staff], and WytcheHaven in Salem, AR [blowing kisses to Rio and Riverfire - and Cheri, too! :)]. And then...I packed the car and headed for the Wicked Witch Mojo Line Launch Party at Morgana's Elementals in Winchester, VA [hat's off to Teresa and staff for throwing one hell of a party]!
The facilitators of these events treated me with such kindness and generosity, and made my time there so very special, there simply aren't adequate words to express my appreciation. So instead, I'll say this: If you ever have the opportunity to attend any event hosted by them, don't hesitate. Just send in your registration, mark your calendar, and pack your bag. You'll not only be glad you did - but can count on having the time of your life!
Just one more thing: I still have a few more places to visit this year, so be sure to check the High Heel Tracks section below to see if I'll be in your area - and then make plans to come out and say hello. I'd really love to see you!
That said, it's time to wrap this up and get back to work. Stay safe, stay happy, stay sassy, and stay wicked. And have an absolutely fabulous rest of the year! I'm counting on it. ;)
Much love and many hugs!
Dorothy...
Wicked Whispers
Dorothy is a huge New Orleans Saints fan; so much so, in fact, that nothing - not wind, nor storm, nor even wild horses - can prevent her from watching the games. While creamy peanut butter is one of Dorothy's favorite snacks, she thinks peanut butter cookies are a horrid waste of both the cookie dough, and that scrumptious paste.
Dorothy has an affinity for little boxes - wooden, stone, ceramic, porcelain, you name it - and has quite a collection of such.
Cauldron Bubbles
& Candle Flames
[In each issue we'll include a spell or other magical working. Watch this spot closely. You never know when it may be a new and exclusive tidbit!]
As a general rule, all it takes is a little mundane effort on our part to solve these sorts of problems. But sometimes, even our best efforts refuse to bring things back to normal. And it's for that very reason that I designed the Makin' Tracks candle, oil, and incense. They work just like hot foot powder, but are much easier to use. How so? Well...you won't have to chance getting caught sneaking around someone's house. There's no need to sprinkle anything in someone's path. And...you can actually use it on nearly anything you'd like to see gone. It's the next best thing to moving and packing those nasties yourself - and a lot less work!
So...how do you use them exactly? Techniques vary practitioner to practitioner, but here's what I've found works well for me.
That's all there is to it. Except, of course, to want the desired result so badly that you become one with the effort - and to believe that what you want will come to pass!
[*Please note that neither the use of these products - nor the spellworking outlined - should be used in lieu of prescription medication, or a visit to your health practitioner. ;)]
September 10th - 13th, 2010 October 23rd, 2010 October 24th, 2010
Mystic Moon
3365 N. Military Highwa
Norfolk, VA
[For further information, please check out the Mystic Moon website or call 757-855-3280.]
Omen: Psychic Parlor and Witchcraft Emporium
184 Essex Street
Salem, MA
Booksigning: Time to be Announced
5:00p.m. - 7:00p.m: Magic Down and Dirty Seminar
[For more information, please call 978-666-0763 or check out the Omen website.]
Omen: Psychic Parlor and Witchcraft Emporium
184 Essex Street
Salem, MA
Booksigning: Time to be Announced
[For more information and reservations, please call 978-666-0763 or check out the Omen website.]
Important Announcements
& Shameless Plugs
Surfing the Internet?
Then check out what I'm doing and where I'm going by surfing over to:
www.dorothymorrison.com
www.wickedwitchstudios.com
www.utterlywicked.com
www.lucindasweb.com
Are you sick and tired of having tacky magical accoutrements forced upon you? So sick and tired, in fact, that you'd just as soon sit in a bed of red ants - and not practice at all - as use them? If your answer to even one of these questions is a resounding "YES," Wicked Witch Studios is here to help. Stop by today and see what's brewing!
Are you a Witch of discriminating taste, with an eye for elegance, and a flair for the dramatic?
Browse Dorothy's New Line of Handcrafted Accoutrements at Wicked Witch Studios
Get Entangled in Lucinda's Web
Visit the Flying Monkey Express