Lanie Costeas - the can-do goddess

All in a goddess’ day’s work

Mega multi-tasker Lanie Costeas is our second Siren School student-nominated ‘modern goddess.’ Read how her friend described her and you’ll understand why:

“I think Lanie would be an awesome feature. That woman can accomplish so much in one day, she cooks extravagant meals for dinner as well as her husband’s lunch for the next day, spends hours gardening their food, takes care of several indoor and outdoor cats and an iguana, makes and sells jewelry. And she can do it all in a day. But the other thing is that she and her husband spent their own time and money to catch feral cats to get them fixed and then released them back. They also found the kittens homes as well as kept one I believe. Lanie is just one of the most uplifting people that I know. I met her through my mom at the Renaissance Faire and she is a blast. She always comes with little gifts/favors as well as a trunk full of a mini bar to make her concoctions with. She's great.” ~brandi

We went to Lanie herself to get her perspective on things:

Lanie, how would you describe a modern goddess?

I would describe a modern goddess as someone who immerses herself in many creative hobbies and past times that bring her life more joy as well as the lives of other people around her. I think a modern goddess is someone who constantly inspires others and makes them want to live a fuller more creative life.

You're involved in so many different things and fully dive into everything you do. What does a typical Lanie day entail?

I have been taking care of a new litter of feral kittens and a lot of feral cats and with the big garden and other projects in the works I have been crazy busy. I am very passionate about feral cat rescue and have a group of feral cats that I feed and care for daily. Currently, there are around 15 cats or more. I try to spey/neuter as many as possible and feed and care for the colony daily at 7:00am and 7:30pm. I also provide shelter for the cats. I have a custom door on my garage as well as a log cabin heated cat house. I am super passionate about organic gardening and growing my own food as well as cooking my own food from scratch. I am crazy passionate about crafting and making jewelry and always have been. I collect and sell vintage bohemian clothing and sell on eBay. I have a bohemian store called The*Mermaids *Bohemian*Boutique which I maintain weekly. I make

Modern goddess Lanie in a rare moment when she is not doing & creating. The hair clip shown in the background at top is one of her designs. See more samples of her artistry and industrious handiwork on the page following.

my own mermaid and fairy themed jewelry for my store and seek out vintage bohemian clothing to sell in it.

You are an inspiration to those who know you. What and who inspires you?

What and who inspires me... I am inspired by people who love the planet and all of its life forms. Some of my favorite people who have always inspired me are Jane Goodall, Julia Butterfly Hill and Diane Fossy. Other people who inspire me are people who are into animal rescue or organic gardening, and anyone who is artistic and open minded. I am drawn to people who live to create and make the world a better and more beautiful place.

Most of your activities, while you enjoy them, are uber productive. Is there anything you love to do that has no productive value whatsoever?

I would say that three of my "laid back" passions that do not require a lot of work like the cat rescue/spey-neuter/ adoption, gardening, cooking, crafting, and selling vintage clothing would be collecting Pre Raphaelite Art, seeing live music, and absorbing as much culture as possible. I am an anthropology nut! I love to immerse myself in all cultural traditions. I also love nature and having bonfires. I have a pretty big collection of Pre-Raphaelite art reproductions in my home and a lot of people call my house The Museum.

What are you most passionate about?

My passions that are not work related would be seeing live music and bands as much as possible. I also love to collect Art and attend Art shows. I love to go to cultural celebrations and am very into anthropology. I love to sit in front of a fire and love nature. I am very passionate about learning as much as I can about other cultures. I love India and I adore attending Indian celebrations. These are some of my main passions. (Music, Art, Nature,)

Another friend summed Lanie up this way:

“I refer to Lanie as my most colorful crayon in my box. She has an appreciation for life that few attain. She is generous, creative, caring and exceptional in many ways. Her abilities are vast: cooking, feasting, creating, protecting, She is the personification of passionate. If you need someone in your corner, she's the gal. If you need a kick in the pants, she's the gal. I love Lanie. I call her my mermaid friend. She is one of my greatest treasures The end” ~Lori