7 Days of Magic: Spell-a-la-palooza, Day Two

Welcome to Day Two of the Seven Days of Spell-a-la-palooza, where visitors to the blog can enter a giveaway filled with several prizes over the course of seven days. Winners will be announced Nov.3, 2013. In addition I will be announcing the 2013-2014 Design Team, unveiling new product and the www.lisakettelldesigns.com website. For rules & how to enter, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Please visit some of these amazing fellow bloggers who are joining in the fun and have fabulous sites that are sure to peak your creativity.

http://www.thevintagegoose.blogspot.com
http://marfibradford.blogspot.com 
http://www.laurakellydesigns.com
http://auroratique.blogspot.com
Queen Trudy 
http://armenian-princess.blogspot.com
http://tabithalenox.blogspot.com
http://dandeliontwist.blogspot.com
http://sidelinebabe.blogspot.com
http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com 
http://lovevisiting.blogspot.com

Day Two of Spellbinding Tales:

Every year when the 12th day before Halloween arrives, Pippa Bellows hosts a series of magical events at her home in Waverly Hollow. She transforms her whole barn into a glowing pumpkin where magical carved beets, turnips and gourds hang from every nook and cranny. 

As you know last night was night five of the Halloween festivities. Night five was called Potionology 101 which was taught by Professor Conrad Wiltstone, leading potion-ologist, and two time winner of the Wortley Wimbatt Award. In the workshop I created all the essential potions needed in every wizards magic box, and got to experiment with rare herbs and spells. I excelled at the Wimworm Primworm Transformation Spell. I tweaked it with some of my secret ingredients and was able to perfect it. 

By the end of the workshop each of the students created their own secret hideaways and potions, learned how to transform ourselves and how to keep our secret hideaway jars invisible from others. Such an amazing experience. 

Tonight is night six of magic and we are getting ready for the next event: "Cauldrons Run", which is the night when the rarest herbs and flowers come alive and share their yearly secrets for a better harvest and town folklore that may actually be true. These herbs and flowers then cast a spell for blessings until they come back again next year, so cool.

One of the herbs; "Violets Brumme" has already come to life, she is an early bloomer with the sweetest smell and personality. Her hair is a enchanting violet color, with hints of shimmering blue, that glows when the moonlight beams onto it.

Pippa and Violet have led us all to the edge of the woods, where Cornelius Primnott, Conrad Wiltstone, Snap Ravenwood, Lionel Grimshaw and Tinker Gazergreen are awaiting our arrival so the evening festivities can truly begin.

 

At the edge of the woods sits Wiltmoore Bridge, located behind Waverly Conservatory where our Wizard Guides are waiting. They have set up a long table with spell books, garden boxes, candles, lanterns and merriwig elixir. We have been told to bring along our wands, brooms and 2 empty potion jars. 

Then I've been told when the clock strikes 10pm, the transformation of the herbs begin. Pixies from all over the land aid in the magic shower that will illuminate the night sky and call on every star in the universe.

This is all I know for now, can't wait to share tonight's adventure with all of you tomorrow!. The pictures I shared are part of tonight's adventure. Notice the herbs and flowers coming to life in the photo above. That flower is named Luna, her sisters shown next to her are; Mina, Petunia and Seenie.

Have an enchanted evening!
xoxo
Lisa

P.S. All photos are photographed and edited with filters and handmade digital elements by me.
Lisa Kettell Designs c.2013

Willowwood Arboretum, Chester Township, NJWe know how much I love gardening, secret gardens, pristine landscape and arboretums, a few posts back I wrote about the Frelinghuysen Arboretum and its lavish landscape, secret gardens and flora/fauna rarities. Today I wanted to share with you another hidden treasure, The Willowwood Arboretum, which like Frelinghuysen is located in Morris County, however Willowwood and its 130 acres can be found in Chester Township.Willowwood Arboretum is an arboretum and public park made up of 130 acres, located at 300 Longview Road, Chester, New Jersey. It is part of the Morris County Park System and is open to the public daily.The location was first cleared for farming in the 1700s, which led to the formation of the meadows that that now exist on the property. It was originally named Paradise Farm before being bought by amateur arborist brothers, Henry and Robert Tubbs, in 1908, who then renamed the property Willowwood after the natural collection of willow trees that exist in the area.They expanded the farmhouse that dates back to 1792 and made it into their family home. The brothers slowly collected and grew many specimens over the next half century, including a vast collection of rare and exotic species, thanks in part to the popular New York horticultural scene at the dawn of the 20th century. Afterward, the property was formed into a private arboretum and run by Rutgers University as a plant and tree research facility. It then became part of the Morris County Park System in 1980.The arboretum consists of both wild forest and tended tree collections, farm land, a residence with two small gardens and a handful of smaller out-buildings. There are about 3,500 types of native and exotic plants, many rare. The historic collections include oak, maple, willow, magnolia, lilac, cherry, fir, pine, a superb specimen of Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia) now more than 98 feet (30 m) tall, masses of ferns and handsome stands of field and forest wild flowers.Both wild and cultivated plantings can be seen on self-guiding tours through informal paths in open areas and woodlands.
-Wikipedia.com

Lilac Party:

Is held with the awakening of the lilac blooms and beautiful spring gardens marking the end of winter. The annual May Lilac Party features food, wine tasting, music and a silent auction. The Lilac Party is ususually held in May.

http://www.morrisparks.net/aspparks/wwmain.asp

A good friend lives nearby, a walking distance away, her home is reminiscent of her British heritage, with English style gardens, architecture and design. Everytime I visit her I find something new to photograph.I took this photo of myself near the century old wisteria, the light seemed so magical, I felt as though I had ventured to a secret fairy garden waiting to be explored.Here I saw a beautiful butterfly waiting to be photographedGolden Treasures filling one area, perhaps they are the entrance to the Queen Bee's Castle or Fairy Queen's Vacation Retreat.Next time you grow a garden, visit an arboretum, a botanical garden or a friend's, perhaps a visit to Copenhagen at Trivoli Gardens, take a camera, a journal, pencils and ink, sit back and envision a secret world filled with fairies and dragonflies, queen bee's and swan boats, waiting for you to explore.

Beautiful Arboretums in New Jersey
There are so many beautiful arboretums, secret gardens and historical sites all throughout the Garden State also known as New Jersey. Too many people associate the highway and industrial auto routes which are laced with factories and urban areas, as the label of NJ, cracking jokes such as; "Sure its the garden state", or "Where are the gardens in NJ" or "NJ is all city", that is not the case, if you drive deeper into the state you will find those hidden jewels, the secret gardens, the massive horse and race farms, the dairy farms, arboretums, historical museums and grand victorians and mansions, all awaiting for visitors and NJ-ites to come and discover.One favorite location of mine is Morristown and its surrounding locale. Does George Washington or Jockey Hollow ring a bell?, they are part of Morristown's history as are the industrial revolution's millionaire's homes which sit amongst quaint garden fronts and cozy tree lines streets. Aout 5-10 minutes from the center of town sits Frelinghuysen Arboretum, formely the estate of the Frelinghuysen Family who donated the estate and its picturesque 127 acres to the Morris County Park Commission (MCPC) in 1969, it was formally dedicated as Frelinghuysen Arboretum in 1971 and eventually put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.The "MCPC" is notably considered to be the best park system in NJ and one of the leading park systems in the nation.In 1989 The Haggerty Education Center opened it contains a multi-purpose auditorium and has two classrooms. The goal of the center is to provide continuing horticultural educational programs, arts, events and is also home for various plant societies. There is also a fabulous gift shop with the most unique items, including artworks and books from locals and gardeners, tea ware, cards and jewelry as well, it sun room windows not only allow light inside but are adjacent to one of the many secret gardens and garden architecture throughout the grounds.There are just so many things to see and places to explore, I love the midsummer nights eve style garden over by the gift shop and gardens, there are these two amazing fantasy/grecian style stone sculptures, which also have a Southern Gothic/Nouveau feel to it, surrounding these beauties are beautiful greenery and flowers, a few trellis, a enchanting rock pond, and wrought iron seating.What makes this arboretum even more enchanting like a fairies haven are the majestic flowers which pop out at you at every corner, I could see Edith Wharton, sitting under one of the climbing rose trellis, basking in the warm air over a pot of tea, English pastry and her writting tablet, envisioning the romance of the season.The following is a picture of my friend Alex and I on an excursion to the arboretm, while the local newspaper's reporter/photographer was on hand, interviewed us and snapped this photo which was printed in color in our paper, which was exciting.

To visit more images from my arboretum adventures click on the following link which will bring you to my flickr gallery photo set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonfaires16/sets/72157620131510824/

For more info on the arboretum click on this link:
http://www.arboretumfriends.org/