Review: Witch Casket January Box

It has taken me a while to get there, but I am finally ready to review the first box I got from Witch Casket. I will not talk about every item in it, but rather focus on the general impression and a few specific products. Disclaimer: This is my personal review and thoughts on this subscription box. I pay for it with my own money and I am not sponsored in any way by Witch Casket.

***

Witch Casket is a small company run from Britain by mother-daughter duo Deb and Ella. The subscription box was launched in November 2016 and has subscribers in 20 countries. The box does not come with tracking so be aware of this if you consider a subscription. Deb and Ella are however very responsive to e-mail and are active on social media, posting pictures of their caskets shipping out.

At the end of 2017 I decided to order this subscription box. The boxes ship on the 15th of each month and I received mine on the 24th of January. I believe it took this long to arrive because of the Finnish post being very slow sometimes. Anyway, let's jump to the contents:

These goodies arrived in a nice white carton box.

The box was well packaged and the presentation was very nice. The contents were wrapped in a grey silk paper, which made it feel like it had been prepared with great care. The smell of Nag champa incense met me almost immediately as I opened the box. I will not list all the contents, but rather here is a list of the contents that was provided in the box.

The contents as listed on the note that came in the box.

The first two items I picked out of the box were the art print and the book mark, both of which are among my favorites from this box. The print by Tea Cake Art is simply stunning. And as I love bookmarks and Edgar Allan Poe, the bookmark with a quote by him was right up my alley. However, before I continue with other favorites, let me talk a little bit about some other products in the box.

The Witch-beanie is really nice, but I am not sure how much I will be wearing it. The material is listed as 100% acrylic (which I am sure that is not true for the embroidery which is sure to be polyester), and I cannot stand acrylic. I try to use natural materials as much as possible and acrylic is plastic. It is often used as a substitute for wool because it can be made to mimic the feel of wool. But as I mostly use beanies while out in the woods, on hikes and in camp life where my materials have to be able to withstand fire and weather, I would not be able to bring this with me. It does fit nicely however, so I will try to find use for it, or to find a nice new home for it.

Ginger loose leaf green tea.

I drink a lot of tea and always love sampling different teas. This was a nice sampling size: 8 grams of loose green tea with some ginger in it. What I did lack were brewing instructions. Green tea cannot been brewed in too high temperatures as it will turn bitter. But in too low temperatures you will not be able to taste the ginger. I brewed mine in a teapot at about 75 degrees Celsius. The ginger was very subtle, to the point where I could barely taste it, but that could also be due to the cold I am suffering (and ginger is good to drink where you've got that cold going on). In general a basic tea that could maybe have had a bit more ginger in it. Enough for four small teacups or one large teapot.

My favorites from the January Witch Casket.

I already talked about the art print and the bookmark. I also mentioned that the box smelled of nag champa incense. There are 12 incense cones in the package and a small burner to hold your incense. This is always a good basic incense to have and the smell for some reason reminds me of fresh, clean laundry.

The stone is a black line Jasper and is a new stone for me, so it will be exciting to start working with it. I love buttons, so the witchy themed button with "Wisdom begins in wonder" was really lovely. It came in a small organza bag which will surely find its use as a spell satchel.

Lastly there is the book, which is also the theme for the January box: Grimoires, spellbooks and witch's journals. The book is hardcover. It has a small strap for fastening a pen or pencil to it (this would by the way have been a great addition to the box), and an elastic band for keeping the book closed. There is a bookmark band and inside the back cover is a pocket for keeping small notes etc. The pages are cream paper and they are lines.

Notebooks are always good to have. I have not yet decided what to use mine for as I already have more notebooks than I could count. I do know, however, that it will come in handy and be put to good use.

So what are my final thoughts on this box?

• The box was very nicely packaged and the color theme and packaging throughout was well completed and thought out.
• Some of the products seemed more like lifestyle-products than as something to do with magic (eg. the beanie, sticker and skull spoon) but they do follow the general witchy theme.
• There could have been a bit more tea, but the amount included was a good sample size. Brewing instructions would be good to include.
• The emotional healing charm bag kit could have included more information about the separate ingredients included in it. Especially for beginners it would be good to know what qualities the ingredients represent. 

In general I felt like the products tied very loosely together with each other, and there was a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Some items clearly were linked to the theme of spell books/grimoires, but most felt like they were just products with a witchy theme. I am however positively impressed by the box and the quality of the contents. They provide inspiration to a magical life and to perform spells. Receiving the notebook at the beginning of the year inspires making notes about one's magical journey though the year of 2018. The bookmark begs to be used either to mark pages in that journal or in some book on magic one might pick up and read during this year.

In short, I am happy with the box and I am looking forward to reviewing the next one (which arrived earlier this week).

Many blessings!
~Stella

Flea-market haul

I like crafting and DIY a lot. And the local flea-markets and secondhand stores are a treasure trove for finding inspiration for new projects. I do not go as often as I would like, mostly to protect my wallet from bleeding too much.

Now there is one place in particular here that has very nice prices and also stocks a separate handicrafts department. I went there yesterday because I got a tipoff that there was an old guitar there for sale. I found the guitar, an old Landola (which is a local Finnish brand). It lacked strings and the screws were very worn, but that is easy to fix. The most worrisome part is that the neck is slightly loose from the body, probably because of someone putting metal strings on it instead of nylon. I bought it anyway (and managed to negotiate the price). I intend to restore it as I know a carpenter who will be able to help. Then hopefully I will have a very good quality second guitar that I can bring with me on trips or for work.

As I happened to be in this particular flea-market, I decided to go to the craft department, and lo and behold did I find nice things there. At the end of my visit I came away with a large cookie-pillow for making bobbin lace. I have been thinking of buying one but around here they are very expensive. So finding one for a miniscule prize was a real stoke of luck. I will change out the fabric on it and redo some of the padding, as it is a little too soft for my liking. Then I'll just have to find bobbins somewhere, as I won't get far with the two pairs I have.

I also found a very nice 20 cm wide, cream colored bobbin lace. It was in two pieces but together they measure about 3 meters. I paid 5 euros for it, and I'm fairly certain that had I found it at a normal store the price would have been 20-30 euros per meter. I felt amazingly lucky. Now the lace seems old and has some discoloring, so I am debating with myself whether I might be able to gently wash and dye it. Anyhow, it will certainly feature in some future project.

I found a small handbook on traditional wood carving. This will be a gift for the aforementioned carpenter. Lastly, but maybe what I prized most, was a leaflet with diagrams and models for embroidering monograms. It featured many different styles, and gives ideas for arranging letters, and embellishment around monograms. I have been looking for something similar for a while. And it will be a joy to dig into this one.

That is all for this time. Have a nice day!

~Stella

The pain of recreating a wardrobe

Eight to ten years ago I was at the height of my gothness. I had moved away from home to study in a big city. I had no money to spend on expensive goth clothing, but I sewed a lot, thrifted things and got things cheap on sale (like a full length cloak that was half price). As I was really tiny at the time I could fit everything I found at the thrift stores, and if something was too big I could just take it in. I had a good wardrobe. I was happy in my dark clothing.

Here is an old picture:

I was studying Theology at the time and some art students had a photography project going on about people who dressed differently than was expected for their field.

Then life happened. I had to start dressing more "normal" and at the same time I spiraled into depression. I kept sinking for a few years without realizing it. Suddenly my body had matured and I had gained weight. My old clothes did not fit me anymore. I still managed to keep a "going out"-wardrobe, but it got increasingly difficult. In the end I gave up for the sake of my sanity.

For the past year I have been slowly rebuilding my wardrobe. I have a ton of fabrics in my closet just waiting to be turned into creative pieces of extravagance. But for some reason it has been very difficult to get started with sewing.

I have been trying to thrift again, but most of the nice things I find do not fit me. I buy ready made goth clothing if I can find it on sale or cheaply, but only if I believe it will be of good quality and if I absolutely love it. I refuse to buy anything that will just sit in my wardrobe and do nothing. I'm also hesitant to order online because I don't want to get the wrong size. My body has also molded itself into such a non standard form that nothing of standard sizing will fit me properly. Hence my love of lacing closures.

But yes, I keep designing items of clothing that I want to wear. Weather or not I end up making them shall remain to be seen. I have at least gotten started with a new skirt, and as soon as I get a button installed it will be done (and it is turning out sooo pretty).

I am getting there, one clothing item at a time. And I really want to get back to my old level of just being able to sit down and sew three items of clothing a day. Those were fun times.

Some life updates

I hope your new year has begun in a nice manner!

Mine has been very hectic. I started a new job as a music teacher and between lessons and preparing the next day I have had zero time to think about blogging. I have tried to squeeze in some sewing during the weekends so I have a few projects I will show off here as soon as I have time to photograph them. If you want to follow me more closely you can find me on Instagram under the name @stellagreymoore.

Anyway, I love my new job. Yes, it is very hectic, but it is also very creative and challenging in a good way. I find myself pushing forward and challenging myself in ways I had not imagined possible. 15 years ago in school we all had to try playing the drums and the bass guitar. I have not tried them since, which I have always felt is a shame. I have never played the electric guitar. During the past week I have delved into all of these. I picked up my old acoustic guitar again and started playing at home, and I bought an ukulele because apparently that is the hip instrument to play today.

I studied to be a teacher for half a year as an extra part for my degree, but not as a music teacher. I have a degree in studies of religion. So getting my mind set to teaching music from kids age 7 to youngsters age 19 has been mental gymnastics. I am getting there, at my own pace. And I'm having a lot of fun with it. The only downside, as mentioned, has been that I have not had time to blog.

Hopefully that will change soon because I have a few things I have planned. I've decided to try out the Witch Casket box and once the January box arrives I am planning on doing a box opening and review of the content.  I'm also planning some other reviews, and I am planning on trying to put up a few more recipes and sewing tutorials.


That is pretty much all for now. Enjoy your tea and may your new year be productive!

~Stella

December haul: Something to start the new year

Yule has gone by and the holiday sales are on in stores. I tend to go shopping at the time around new year as prices are lower and I usually have more time to spend shopping. This time I got my hands on some makeup, jewelry and stationery. 

Makeup products

One of the local makeup stores has recently started stocking NYX makeup. I have previously tried their liquid lipsticks and I quite liked them. So I went in to look at them. I ended up buying a couple of lipsticks, some lipliners (actually eyeliners, but they will work just fine on lips as well for my purposes), a liquid eyeliner and a eye makeup base.. In a jewlry store I found the nail stencils which I'll be trying out. 

Bats!

I got the ring from the same jewelry store as the nail stencils. The bat necklace and earrings I got in the mail. I ordered them some time back and they are absolutely lovely. The only thing wrong with them was that the earring hooks were on the wrong way, but that was easily fixed.

Stationery.

I also went shopping for some stationery. So I got a new bullet journal, some cute sticky notes with birds on them and some scrap-booking paper. The "Your[sic] one in a melon" (which is horribly misspelled) contains some bigger sticky notes and weekly to do-lists. The smaller pads with owls and lemons also contains different sized sticky notes. I use these quite a lot ans since they were on sale I grabbed a couple.

Lastly I went shopping for some hiking gear. I got a new meal trey set: cup, bowl (both foldable), spork, cutting board, lunch box and a shaker for spices. I also got a few pairs of woolen hiking socks and a tarp. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of these but I will put them to use during spring.

With that I will now sit down with a nice cup of tea and start my new bullet journal for 2018. I wish you all a happy new year! May it be blessed and fulfulling!

~Stella

Pumpkin and goat cheese pie

Pumpkin is in season and it is so very versatile. It is one of my favourite ingredients to use in food. So here is my recipe for this savory treat. 

Ingredients

Pie dough 

You can use a store bought one or make your own. If I buy mine I usually go for a rye dough. Here is one recipe I use when I make my own:

100-150g butter (at room temperature)

1,5 dl shredded cheese

2 dl flour

2 dl rolled oats

3 table spoons cold water

Filling

500g pumpkin, cubed
100g goat cheese
100g ricotta
3 eggs
3/4 dl milk
Fresh basil
Salt
Pepper
(Curry)
Olive oil

Cube the pumpkin and toss the cubes in some olive oil. Put them on a roasting tray and roast for about 30 minutes (175°C) or until soft. While they bake, combine all ingredients for the dough, knead and press into a pie dish. Cool for 15 min. When the pumpkin is soft, take it out an let cool. While the cubes cool, prebake the pie crust for 10 minutes. Mix eggs, milk, ricotta and the spices. Place pumpkin cubes and goat cheese in the crust and pour the eggmixture over it. Bake for about 40 minutes in 175°C. Garnish with more basil and enjoy.

Enjoy!

~Stella

Killstar Haul and First Impressions

I have been ogling Killstar's items for a very long time and recently decided to order some items from them. I have been needing a new handbag and wallet for some time and some items from Killstar's fall collection just spoke strongly to me. Here are the items I ordered:

• Tryals cast-out vest top [link]
• Book of Spells handbag [link]
• Dee Ceased Book wallet [link]
• Book of Spells journal [link]
• Netflix socks [link]

So I placed my order on a Tuesday afternoon and the package arrived in less than a week, which was much faster than I had expected. The items arrived in a plastic bag (picture below), which always makes me a bit nervous about in which condition the items would be. I really like the look of the bag though, this Ouija-board style print. So I could not wait to get home and tear open the packaging to get to the items inside.

As I opened the bag and started pulling things out of it I must say that they were really nicely packaged. The wallet came in it's own box, which was slightly dented in one corner but this did not affect the wallet itself. Here is a picture of all the items I got and below will follow my first impressions of them:

• The Tryals Cast-Out vest is a knee length top. It has some (decorative) lacing in the back and text printed on both sides, from a pamphlet of 1693 about casting out witches and devils. I really like the soft cotton stretch fabric of the top. It feels super comfortable to wear and it is the right length for me. I got the size XXL based on the size chart on Killstar's page for this item, but I could probably have gotten away with ordering a size L. This kind of material stretches a lot and the armholes feel a bit too big. A size large would probably also fit more snugly around my bust. But in all I am really happy with this top. I got it because I liked how the cut of it looked and the text printed on it reminds me of all the prejudice that witches and other alternative people have faced in history and still face today.

• The Handbag then. I am positively surprised by the handbag. It has two main compartments, one of which contains a small, zippered pocket. Zippers are all silver and shiny.The lining is woven with the Killstar logo in the fabric and it is also anchored to the bottom of the bag, which is a marker of good quality. The bottom of the bag has four studs on it for the handbag to stand on and protect it from wear and tear. The handbag also came with a detachable shoulder strap. I have not tried that out yet, but I will in time. I am a little bit concerned about how well the edge paint on the vegan leather will hold up, but we shall see. In all I feel like this might be one f the better quality non-leather handbags that I have owned. 

• The Dee Ceased wallet with the text "Handbook for the recently deceased" on it. This feels like a robust wallet. It has the text and some gravestones printed on the front, and a small zippered pocket on the back. The zippers and corner details are in a dark silver grey finish. Once opened the wallet has space for 12 cards, with two bigger "pockets" for notes or receipts, and a zippered pocket for coins. I find that the wallet i also big enough to house a small notepad and a pen. As with all new wallets and card holders they need to be broken in. The card holders in this one are really tight so I will try to break it in really slowly. In contrast to the handbag, the wallet has barely any edge paint, and edges are instead turned in. The only place I can see edge paint on are the books bands on the spine. The wallet fits very snugly in the handbag so I might be using an other wallet in the handbag instead f this one.

• Book of Spells Journal: I was super surprised by the feel of the cover of this journal. It is not in any way velvet, but this kind of soft matte cover that feels velvety to the touch. I can't put words on the feeling properly, but it feels nice to the touch. The print is embossed. The inside of the journal is lined cream paper. It has a satin band to mark pages and a rubber band to use for keeping the journal closed.  The first thing I did with this was to write my name in it, and of course, the title will tell you what the contents will be.

• Netflix socks: These have the text "Netflix and don't touch me" on them, in bold letters. I got these because when I saw them they made me laugh remembering an episode that happened a few years back. I had just met this guy who seemed really nice and he asked weather we could have this "Netflix and chill"-evening. I wholeheartedly agreed as I thought "Oh yeah, watching Netflix and having a chill evening." Sometimes I take things a bit too literally... Anyway, you can imagine how surprised I was when he made a move on me in the middle of a Jessica Jones-episode. Therefore, I got these socks to remind myself of that time and to keep unwanted suitors away (secret: when I watch a movie or TV-series I really like, I don't want to be disturbed by anything).

So in all I am very happy with the things I got (although my bank account is bleeding). I will try to make reviews of at least the handbag and the wallet once they have seen some wear. In the meantime: Stay witchy!

~Stella