Good Faerie Ball

It's time to share some photos from the Midwinter Balls. I don't know why I haven't blogged about it yet. I've felt some clear resistance and I've been trying to figure it out. I couldn't wait to share photos from the summer festival.

I think there's a number of reasons. It was a tough place to take photos - low lighting, not a lot of room to set up shots, people always in motion, and I didn't have my camera for most of the first evening. Too, it was a wonderful time laughing and dancing with friends. No matter how great the photos (or not great), they don't capture the magick, the music, the love, the joyful FUN of the evening.

Last but not least, several years into this popping back and forth between realms, I now expect the inevitable PFS. Post Festival Syndrome. Or, if you prefer, Post Faerie Syndrome. The stories and tales are true indeed, it's hard to come back to the mundane world. I'm still processing the gifts and trades of this last journey. It may take a while. So, I'm gonna just stop dragging my feet and toss a few pics up here from the Good Faerie Ball.

From the back of the dance area in the main theatre. On stage - Delhi 2 Dublin

First on stage, to warm things up, was the haunting cello of Adam Hurst. The first band was the always magical Woodland. Finishing off the fun was the must-dance-to music of Delhi 2 Dublin.

I swore I wouldn't forget to get photos of myself and then, of course, I forgot to get any photos of myself. Any decent photos anyway. You can't see my full velvet skirt, you can't really see my blooming branch wings. It was lovely, you'll have to take my word on it.

I did get a few staged photos of Hubby in his Steampunk Victorian Time Traveler get up. He had a little gold charm that said "Time Traveler" just in case he needed to identify himself. LOL. Everyone loved his outfit. He loved his hat. He loved his goggles. Let's face it, Steampunk is the new Cool. Most of the men and quite a few women were totally steampunkin' it.

Here's a full length shot.

Hubby with a couple of buddies, Cat and Sam. I love how raven got distracted by the shinies and isn't looking at the camera. LOL

There was lots of dancing. Music, light, movement, rhythm, sparklies, shinies, voices, drumbeat, swaying, twirling, flickering wings.

My friend Lynne had this very tall dance partner. A faerie and a daisy - only at a faerie ball!

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There's a story behind the next photo. I'll set it up.

I spied this woman in the lobby, also dressed as a Green Woman. Of course we had to have our photo taken together. We both handed cameras to our husbands and posed. We exchanged names, talked costumes for a few minutes, and then went our separate ways. (For unknown reasons, I didn't end up with a photo in my camera of the moment.)

In any case, later in the night I was off dancing and hubby went off to the bar. I popped in and out a couple of times but he seemed to be having a good time chatting around a table with the Green Woman and her husband, and a few other people. We even posed for a few group photos.

Later in the evening still Hubby asked me "How do we know those people again?"

" What people?"

"The couple I was sitting with in the bar."

"You mean the Green Woman, Mackenzie, and her husband?"

"Yeah. How do we know them?"

"We don't."

But I guess we do now. It was their first Faerieworlds event but I bet we'll run into them again at the summer festival.

This is the incredible costume designer Susan Tooker. Her outfits on both nights were beyond stunning.

Here's a close up of her wonderful staff and headdress. As much as I was in awe of her design skills, and as much as she got her photo taken a gazillion times, I couldn't help but think it was sort of like being fae royalty, held down by her mantle from being able to get out there and dance. I guess I'm more of a wild fae, I need freedom to move. (More about that, soon, on my studio blog - I've learned, or in some cases relearned, more about costume and fashion design with these last outfits and have "stuff to say about it".)

Here's where I wanted to put up photos of all our friends in all their great outfits but.... gotta stop somewhere. I still have the Faery Market and Bad Faery Ball pics to share. Perhaps not soon, I have a very important baby shower to attend this weekend!

And that segues nicely into the last photo I want to share. I think it's the best photo of the weekend. And if anyone knows this woman and how to contact her, I'd love to have her be able to get a copy of this precious moment.

A faery mama and her wee faery babe.