Faerie Festival 2014

It’s hard to actually write about the Faerie Festival because I get bogged down in looking at old pictures.  This was our 11th year heading off to Spoutwood and it was, as always, magical.

On Friday, Julianna had to go to school for one last day of Econ before an exam and Ben wanted to go to a sleepover birthday party, so it was just Lily and I piling into the van with Bev, Brooke, and Molly.  It was very strange to be two fairies down, I kept counting heads, but only had to get to “one.”  No one was particularly interested in fancy makeup, I was the only one in wings…subdued.

Fridays in general are a bit more low-key at the Festival, which is why I always go that day.  It’s free for kids under 12, so it tends to be a day heavy with baby fae, and who doesn’t love that?  As Bev and I watched a winged toddler dance about the hillside, I remembered the middle aged ladies staring hungrily at MY chubby baby faerie…and now that’s me.

Some of the yummy little winged ones:

She went up the ramp and down the ramp and up the ramp and down the ramp.  About a zillion times.

She was at last year’s fest in her mama’s painted tummy.

Her joy at being accepted by the “big” girls was a-flipping-dorable.

Here was my wee faerie, in 2005:

And thrilled to be with the big girls:

And here she is now, as captured by one of the professional photographers at the Festival:

Even people who’ve seen her within the last year were stunned to see her now.  It was sudden, it was.  One day, I just turned around, looked down to where her face should be and there were boobs there instead.  I really did need a “My eyes are up here!” b/c they were not where I expected.

Julianna has been keeping a 365 Days of Fairies Facebook page, so I took a lot of photos to help her out.  Here are a few of my faves from Friday:

She’s an English teacher and one of her students made her dress out of SAT prep books.  Luckily Julianna wasn’t there that day to set her on fire.

These guys were hunting faeries and chased squealing children, trying to bonk them on the head.  Note the bear’s head gauntlet.

Love a pun costume.

Oh, all right, one more baby fairy.

As usual, I loved the drum circle.  I like to watch the dancers, I love to be in rhythm with my fellow drummers and hear that great sound we make together. 

 

 

I swear, I’m actually smiling.  I’m like the Grinch, it takes great effort to curl my mouth up even that far.  I drummed so much Friday, my forearms hurt. And a good thing I got it all in b/c it was crazy-crowded on Saturday and I didn’t bother after a time on a lollipop drum.

My annual picture with Scheherezade.  She’s just lovely and always remembers us and exclaims over how big the kids have gotten.  Our Gypsy Auntie.

Saturday, the girls and I went back.  Chris (who joined us the second year we went and most of the ones after) met us there, as did Kara and Emma (Lily’s buddy from way back).  Here are Lily and Emma the fabled Year That It Rained:

And now:

the Mama faeries:

Why yes, we DID totally coordinate our outfits.

Julianna was off taking photos, so I forgot to get one of her until the very end of the day, at which point she’d taken off her corset.  But she still looks gorgeous.  She was made to dress this way, someday she’ll just succumb and dress as a barmaid full time.

Some of my other favorite shots of the day:

“He’s an albino corn snake!”  “I know.  Let me get a shot of this for your Nonnie.”

A troupe of folks in furry-like costumes were there, really, really impressive:

At the end of the day, after watching my beloved Cu Dubh, a bagpipe and drum group (Lily, on hearing the CD in the car, “What IS this?  I HATE it!”), I bent down to pick up my camera and felt my back seize.  At the time, I stretched and took some ibuprofen but the 90 ride home did me in and I spent the next 4 days in bed.  Not fun.  But totally worth it.  Next time, I hope to injure myself belly dancing…