Samhain's Sirens: Day 1, October 1

Welcome everyone!

We're hitting the ground running for the 2nd Annual Samhain's Sirens October Celebration! This year, you're going to see some new faces, and some familiar ones as well. We have SO much fun in store for you, and we're thrilled you are here to be a part of it! For our new friends, my name is Kallan Kennedy, and I am the sponsor of the Samhain's Sirens Project. You can read more about me here.

So, what's this project all about?

Each day (Monday-Saturday) we'll be posting a blog, a recipe and at least one giveaway, as well as give you some music to set the tone of the season. To celebrate the weekend, we'll be adding in a craft  to boot! If you haven't done so already, please do take a moment to get to know our Sirens on the "About" page, and read the "Rules" regarding the giveaways (we like to have fun, but we also want to follow the law as well).

Winners will be announced in the daily blogs, but also have their own page on the blog as well. And, there's a Grand Prize giveaway again this year. If you enter for any of the giveaways, you'll automatically be entered into the grand prize drawing as well!

For our friends in Canada, please pay close attention to the rules for entry. Your country's laws are important to us as well :)

Meet Serena Siren!

Serena is our new representative, and is here to answer your questions and ensure that you have a great experience this October! Feel free to send her an email or use the contact form at the top of the blog. She's happy to respond (usually within 24 hours).

So, are you ready to get this party started? FANTASTIC! Let's get to it!

Meet our Music Siren
Kestril Trueseeker

Kestril Trueseeker has been seeking all her life but only officially started her journey when she turned 30 and decided that life was too short not to explore what it is she loved. Her studies led her to answer the call of the goddess Benzaiten and she can often be found devouring information about Her, Japan in specific and Asia in general. When she's not being a studious witch, Kestril does like to kick back and enjoy general geekery like sci-fi, comic books, RPGs and yes, anime and manga. She also manages to have time for non-geek related things, like belly dance, crochet and sewing quirky little projects (OK, that last can get kind of geeky and she has actually choreographed a belly dance routine inspired by the movie Labyrinth). Kestril has always felt drawn to music, coming from a family where her father and great grandfather were professional musicians for a time. She shares her love of music with her husband and together they are happily raising their two children as proud geeks in the Philadelphia suburbs.

The theme for this year's Samhain Celebration is "Honoring the Dead". Therefore, all of the songs on the blog will be in honor of those musical artists who have passed on.

Today's song is appropriate for our opener. We're back and ready to rock!

You can also check out our Sirens Youtube channel for all of the songs we'll be playing this month, and some extra musical treats!

Meet our Recipe Siren! 
Autumn Earthsong
I'm a 55 year old mother and grandmother from Ohio. I have a husband of 34 years,  two daughters and 3 young grandchildren.  I discovered my Path about 15 years ago but all my Life walked it. I love to grow herbs and use them for my herbal products I sell as Verbena Lane Botanicals.  I also am a kitchen Witch and love to cook.  I look forward to sharing my recipes with Samhain's Sirens.  I was Blessed to be in a Witchy book...Witchy Magic by Serene Conneeley and Lucy Cavendish.  A two page bit about me and a couple of my Lughnasadh bread recipes! I was quite honored!  Many Blessings and thank you for including me in such a great group!

Autumn’s Granola

4 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

2 cups crispy rice cereal

*You can add other things to this like wheat germ or flax seed..just keep the measurements the same.

2 cups nuts  (use your favorite..I like a mix of sliced almonds and pecan halves)

2 TB cinnamon

2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup honey

2 cups chopped dried fruit (again, use your favorite.  I like dried cherries but raisins, cranberries, figs, prunes..or a combo will be great)

Toss oats, cereal, nuts and cinnamon together in a large bowl; set aside.  Combine brown sugar, honey, and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Boil, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved.  Pour over oat mixture, stir to coat well.

Spread evenly on an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet or jelly pan.  Bake at 350* for 10 mins.  Remove from oven, stir well.  Bake an additional 10 mins.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mins.  Transfer to a large airtight storage container.  Stir in fruit and cool completely.  Store in airtight container.  Makes 14 cups. 

Great as it is, or over yogurt, ice cream, or as a cereal!  Enjoy!

Blessings
Autumn
You can visit Autumn's blog at My Moonlit Path and her shop at Verbena Lane Botanicals!

We have two amazing giveaways to kick off the Samhain Season right! Note: These giveaways are open to the U.S., Canada and where allowable. Void where prohibited. Canadian residents, please pay close attention as by law, you have to use a different set of rules. Not to worry, we have you covered :)

Giveaway #1: A Blog Makeover by Tara at PIP Designs!!

Tara Smith is the creative genius behind the design and look of this lair, as well as several other Sirens' blogs, such as The Secret Life of the American Witch, Saga's Cottage and A Witch By Any Other Name. 

She is giving away a blog makeover for your blog, valued at $200.00! Here's what you will receive:


Social Package- (background, header, simple navigation bar, custom template with fonts/colors, grab button plus social media icons that link to your social media sites, social media icons at end of posts, upgrade the navigation bar to drop down menus)

PLUS! 
Facebook timeline cover images- and you get all files and copyright to edit as you wish.

More about Tara:
When she is not busy at her full time job, she plays graphic designer/blogger creator, mother to Cupquake Danger and her IT nerdy hubs, as well as caretaker of many fur children.  She can be found researching the latest technology gadgets, online crazes at home on a Saturday night and Minecraft secrets for the Danger girl. She leads a very exciting life, especially after some No.7. She shares her infertility hardships as well as her hilarious Cupquake Danger episodes on her personal blog (kenleysmomma14.blogspot.com).  Don’t expect daily or weekly blog posts, while her creative and blog designing are amazing, her lack of attention to her own blog is quite evident. She promises to be better, its therapy, and anyone who has friended Tara knows she needs therapy of massive proportions. You can find her business site here  PIP Designs.

How to Enter this giveaway:

You have until 6am EDT tomorrow to enter. Winner will be emailed and an announcement will be made on the blog at 9am EDT.

You MUST provide a valid email address to enter the contest. 

1. Go to PIP Designs. Find your package, come back here, and tell us about it in the comment section. (1 entry)

2. Like the PIP Designs Page on Facebook. Come here and tell us you did so (1 entry)

3.  Blog about this giveaway (make sure you link back here), come back and leave us a link to your blog. (1 entry)

4. Tweet about this giveaway (link to us, please), come back, and leave us a link to your tweet (1 entry)

5. Be a follower of this blog, Samhain's Sirens (1 entry)

6. Like Samhains Sirens on Facebook (1 entry)

Note: If you want your entries to count as separate entries, you must post them separately. If you post 1 comment with all three on it, it will only count as 1 entry.

Canadian residents, by law, instead of the above, you must answer the following question to be eligible: 

What is 1+1?

What's cool about being a Canadian? You automatically get 6 entries per giveaway for just answering 1 question! :)

Giveaway #2: A Book of Shadows by Lapulia Studios!

LaPulia Studios

The lovely and talented Rita Digilova is offering you one of her famous Book of Shadows items from Lapulia Studios. These books are featured in the T.V. show, "The Vampire Diaries"!

Yours is a Blank Triquetra Book of Shadows; medium size, green Italian leather, retail priced at $332.98.
Each book comes with a certificate of authenticity and makes a wonderful keepsake and heirloom!

Your book, being crafted

Click HERE to see a finished product!

From Rita:

"I create my Magickal Books  by bringing them from the unseen world to our world - world of forms. I create them well and I infuse each with the energy - with the magickal energy. Each one of my books is an artifact of itself.  Besides being of the highest quality, all of the materials I choose for my books have no seals, marking, or watermarks (including those  that cannot be seen  - for example, on the reverse side of the leather).

According to the same traditional rules, all other materials "pristine clean or virgin clean", meaning that all of them were purchased brand new and have not previously been used. After the purchase, all of them undergo special ceremony to remove the excess energy left from producing, packing, unpacking and etc.  After Book is created a special charging and consecration ritual is performed upon completion of which a Book is considered as "Born to Magick"!

More about Rita: 

Rita Digilova is an eclectic solitaire Enchantress who has been practicing craft since age of 14. Besides studying and practicing in USA, she also pursued the magickal studies in Russia, Malaysia, Tibet, France, and Italy.

Rita lives in a beautiful and historical town of Princeton in New Jersey. She is a mother to a three wonderful children and two adorable fur-babies.

Rita found her life purpose in bringing Magick to our world through creation of REAL Magickal Grimoires and Book of Shadows.  Therefore LaPulia Studio, Inc. - a magickal bookbindery was founded in 2005 where possibility became a reality.



How to enter Giveaway #2: Triquetra Book of Shadows from Lapulia Studio

You have until 6am EDT tomorrow to enter. Winner will be emailed and an announcement will be made on the blog at 9am EDT.

You MUST provide a valid email address to enter the contest. 

1. Go to Lapulia Studios. Find your favorite book, come back here, and tell us about it in the comment section. (1 entry)

2. Like LaPulia Studios on Facebook. Come back and let us know you did (1 entry).

3.  Blog about this giveaway (make sure you link back here), come back and leave us a link to your blog. (1 entry)

4. Tweet about this giveaway (link to us, please), come back, and leave us a link to your tweet (1 entry)

5. Be a follower of this blog, Samhain's Sirens (1 entry)

6. Like Samhains Sirens on Facebook (1 entry)

Canadian residents, by law, instead of the above, you must answer the following question to be eligible: 

What is 1+2?

What's cool about being a Canadian? You automatically get 6 entries per giveaway for just answering 1 question! :)

Choosing Winners
So how are the winners chosen? Through random number generation. I (Kallan) will take all of the comments and put them into a spreadsheet. Each valid comment becomes an entry with a number. I then use a random number generator and the comment with the number chosen is the winner. 

Note: Sirens who are participating in the project are also allowed to participate in the giveaways (unless, of course it's their own giveaway). I (Kallan) am not eligible since I'm the one choosing the winners. So, I want to say ahead of time to all of you that I'm totally jealous of you :)

For more information on the giveaways, please see the Rules tab at the top of the blog page :)


That's it for our first day! Remember to come back tomorrow to see who won for today, enter tomorrow's giveaways, grab those recipes and dance your way into the season!