You are Cordially Invited to my MidSummer's 'Faerie Day' Soirée!

Well it's June 24th, and today is officially 'Fairy Day'! So what does that mean? It means that "It's a day for Fairies, magic, and wishes to come true. So for one day...put aside the cynicism of the modern world, embrace the possibilities of the unknown....and believe in Fairies!" 

Do you believe in Faeries? I do of course, but then again I also believe in Ghosts, Leprechauns, Father Christmas and The Great Pumpkin. Ah heck....I'll believe in anything if it adds a little magic, creativity and wonderment to my world.  So today is the perfect day to join in the celebration of the Faerie Folk! 

  

When I was a young girl, my Grandmother used to take me to the library. Oh how I loved to spend the day at the library, because it wasn't just any old library....no, it was a magical portal to the lands of enchantment. It began to occur to me that 'magical' books always seemed to find their way into my eager lil' hands. Oh I didn't actively know to seek them out mind you...
I just happened upon them in my searching,
as if some magnetic force was drawing us together. But there were 2 special books that I never forgot, and they were "Faeries' and 'Gnomes" by Brian Froud! I read and studied those books from cover to cover, and I whole heartedly believed that every last word and picture was 100% real! I remember one day in particular when I read about Faerie Rings and Oak Trees....and I became convinced that I would be able to find signs of the Faeries beneath the big old Oak trees on our property. So I set out with my tools and my book....and I spent the day hunting, and waiting, and wishing very hard that I'd find one. Although admittedly I was also a good bit scared at what I would do if and when I actually stumbled upon them. The years have blurred my memory some, but I'm quite certain that I was successful at locating signs that the Faeries were indeed close at hand, and I'm pretty sure that I almost caught sight of one or two. Yes, I loved those two books SO WELL in fact, that I gave up my Library privileges entirely. For I refused to take the books back to the library. The fines kept piling up, and their threats of revoking my library card finally became a reality. But I didn't care. As I just could NOT bare to part with those books after being exposed to all of the magical secrets they'd given up to me. And of course it never even once dawned on me that the books could be found anywhere else other than the library. So I became a "Literary Fugitive" of the County Library System until many years later when I finally married and was able to change my last name! But the criminal record was but a small price to pay for entrance to the Enchanted Land of the Faeries!So to celebrate this most auspicious of days today, I invite you to a Midsummer Faerie Féte! Come join in the revelry and merriment as we wave a fond farewell to Spring and embrace the Summer Season with open arms. Please come take your seat at our Garden Fairy Table.
(And feel free to click on the images to view them larger!) We have a splendid lil' spot set especially for you,
with fresh ferns from the Fern Grotto! Our Midsummer Buffet is filled to the brim with fresh herbs and vegetables straight from the garden, and many delectable treats,
sure to satisfy any Faerie's sweet tooth. Ahhh...Midsummer! All Faeries know that Midsummer offers up Mother Nature's sweetest and most succulent Fruits of the Season. Faerie Berries are a feast for the senses and they come in a kaleidoscope of colors
to please the palate and the eyes!

One of the most scrumptious ways to serve Faerie Berries is in a Perfectly Pink Raspberry Punch. Cool and refreshing on those balmy Summer Days! Let's not forget the Sweets and Treats, as it's common knowledge that most Faeries are born with an insatiable 'sweet tooth'! We have mini Lemon-Blueberry and Chocolate Muffins that are just perfect for snacking. Or how about some dainty little Faerie Cakes....
petite and sweet and perfect for Pixies! And a Faerie Birthday Cake topped with the plumpest of strawberries, and candles for wishing. Yes, even Faeries believe in the power of 'Wishes'! Oh, and don't forget my personal favorite....Toadstools! But these aren't just any ole' Toadstools! For these are baked with a smidgeon of Faerie Magic and a pinch of Pixie Dust, mixed in with sweet Merengue and
Deep Dark Chocolate! So Yummy and So Cute!

With bellies full and the Faerie Festivities drawing to a close, it's time to bid your fellow Faeries adieu! For Twilight is falling fast and the Fireflies are starting to twinkle their lights in the Hedgerow. But no Seasonal Solstice Soirée is complete without Pretty Pixie Party Favors to carry home! And what better way to transport yourself back to the Realm of Faerie, than a lovely scented Butterfly Candle in the Fragrant Flower Scents of Lavender, Honeysuckle, Gardenia and Sweet Pea! Yes it's true that Midsummer presents the perfect opportunity to embark on a Flight of Fancy in the spirit and celebration of the Faeries who Enchant our Gardens, and usher in the Seasons of the Year. And who wouldn't love to attend a Festive Midsummer Celebration filled with the Mirth and Merriment of a Fine Faerie Feast?! Both Young and Old alike can appreciate a Magical Escape into the Realm of Imagination and Wonder! So this has been the perfect day to embrace the Faeries with our open hearts....but more importantly with our open minds!

All you have to do is BELIEVE!
"Tula, vasa ar' yulna en i'mereth. 
Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuv!"  

(All Images © Wendy A. 2011)

The Magic is in the Details

Have you ever noticed that some folks are 'big picture' people and some of us are 'detail' people?  In all fairness there is a catch to leaning too heavily in either direction.  For instance, the 'detail' folks like myself, have a tendency to get so wrapped up in the wonderful details we love so much, that we fail to be able to see the bigger picture.  You're not able to see the forest through the trees, the old saying goes.  And likewise, the 'big picture' people are sometimes so far sighted that they fail to recognize and appreciate the small details that make life beautiful.  Of course optimally, we should all strive for a perfect balance between the two.  In fact, that applies to everything in life.  Balance is the key to happiness, fulfillment and success.  But I'll save that for another post.  Today I want to touch on the importance of the 'details'!  Being a 'detail' girl myself, one might be quick to assume that I am taking sides here or showing some partiality.  And you'd be absolutely right!  But only for the sake of this one blog today and how we can apply that principle to photography.

So my challenge to you is this....first and foremost, find something that you find attractive or interesting and photograph it.  And don't discount the simple things, as they often become the most beautiful when you pay them a little attention.  When I was at my son's school for his Easter party, I went out to put my purse in the car.  My car was parked across the street in a somewhat dry, grassy field of what looked at first glance to be dead grass, weeds and dirt.  But as I was looking at the ground to watch where I was stepping, I noticed these delicate little daisy flowers.  Okay...so most people would identify them as weeds true enough.  And if I had only looked at the 'bigger picture' I might have never noticed the softness of the little daisy heads, or how they danced and swayed in the breeze.  And for some strange reason they brought to my mind an image association of delicate feminine girls.  So I decided to give them their 'shot'...to pay them a little attention, and see them through a lens of 'gratitude' for the beauty they possessed.  I wondered to myself if anyone else would ever come along and photograph them or even notice them or admire them, let alone appreciate their beauty.  I figured I was probably their only suitor, and that I noticed them for a reason and they were meant to be photographed.  (I should also humorously note here that the teachers grew concerned as they spied me from the playground looking down into the grass.  They asked my husband if I was okay, and had I lost a contact or something?  Ha...I didn't even attempt to try and explain that I spent the last 10 minutes photographing their 'weeds'!) 
Okay, so here is my first shot....
Pretty enough...a shallow depth of field focusing only on the flowers closest to me while giving a nice soft focus blur to those in the background.  This shot speaks to me of Spring.  An array of blooms wild, free and unkempt.  This also has a bohemian vibe to me.  But as always...I want to dig deeper, unearth more, and get closer to my subject.  So I shoot again and this is what I saw next.
I'm beginning to get to know them better now.  The room is not so crowded anymore.  I'm starting to grasp some recognition, and those who aren't important are fading ever more into the blurry background of oblivion.  The grass and leaves are starting to become a painted background.  And I can now see some definition in their sweet little faces.  Should I be reticent and stop here?  Perhaps I've seen all there is to see I think.  But sometimes....LESS IS MORE!  So....I zoom in closer.
Oh wow...look what I've uncovered.  That mass of weeds is looking more like ART to me.  And one little lady seems intent on stealing the show does she not?  And what about all that empty space you ask?  Well space is at a premium these days and everyone wants more.  A flower and a photograph are no exception.  And did you notice how the green of the grass and leaves has faded into a lovely backdrop that now shifts the focus onto the 'star' of the show?  Here is where 'cropping' comes into play and can become your friend or your enemy.  If I'd left that flower in the center of this shot...the outcome would not have been nearly as effective, artistic or pleasing to the eye.  When we shoot, we have a tendency to want to center everything right smack dab in the middle of the frame.  But try to think outside of that box and shift things over a little.

What could be done with this image now that I've left all that blank space over there?  Well, besides aiding the eye in focusing on what is the most important element in the shot....it also provides a space for something else. But what?   A hand written sentiment of love or congratulations perhaps.  For I see one of those enclosure cards you get at the florist when you send someone flowers, with the perfect place to sign your name.  Or a place card perhaps, to adorn the table for Easter brunch.  Yes...this is the shot that pleases me most.  I feel I have captured the essence of their beauty as I saw it.  BUT....what if?
Yep!  You knew I couldn't stop without pushing the envelope didn't you?  There is a saying that I saw credited to Mick Jagger, but have since seen it attributed to many others as well...and that is "anything worth doing, is worth overdoing"!  And I am a happy subscriber to that philosophy of life.  So for good measure I zoomed in one more time.  Just like the bear that went over the mountain.  Do you remember WHY he went over it?  TO SEE WHAT HE COULD SEE of course!  Why else?

And here I finally get to know my subject as intimately as my lens at the time would allow.  I can see her full regalia of petals....the layers of her petticoat, if you will.  And I can see her core...her heart....the center of her aura!  I can even observe where the 'cycle of life' takes place.  Where she feeds the bees who pollinate the flowers and so on and so forth.  I have an appreciation for this lovely flower (or weed) that I never would have had if I didn't take time to pay attention to the DETAILS!  I uncovered a beauty in them that thereby allowed me to create yet another thing of beauty in a photograph and art.  So in essence...I've come to understand this as the beauty in the world being multiplied by the small act of appreciation and gratitude for what each living thing uniquely has to offer.  I could have discounted that dusty old field as an eyesore, something not worthy of being seen and appreciated, because at first glance it appeared to merely be plain and shabbily dressed.  But the magical secret is that the beauty was in the DETAILS!

Warning:  I love quotes and use them often.  And I find two of my favorite "magic' quotes applicable here because magic takes so many different forms....
"The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."
"That's the thing with magic.  You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you."

On an ending note, which of the 4 shots do you find to be most pleasing to your eye?  As I'm sure you are aware...all art is subjective, so to me it's always interesting to know what others think.  For the record, although I do love the intimacy of the final shot, my personal choice is still #3 for all the reasons I listed above and ones that I didn't include.  Here's wishing everyone a weekend filled with magical details!

Under a Gypsy Moon

What do you envision when you think of a 'Gypsy'? You know...what would the picture in your mind's eye look like if you tried to describe it? When I close my eyes, I see a clearing in the woods. The clearing is carpeted by a thick mossy ground cover, surrounded by trees, next to a river. Wild thyme grows underfoot and sweetens the air.  Evening has fallen and the moon in the sky is a full round glowing orb.  Oh how I adore a full moon, so full of feminine energy and promising mystery.  The light that shines down from a full moon is the most magnificent light of all, because it illuminates the earth in such a magical way. The moonlight falls on the ripples of the water and shines like glitter in the night. One can easily find their way down the wooded trail to the Gypsy Camp when the full moon offers to lead the way. 

This particular night is in mid Summer. I know this because the delicate, sweet scent of jasmine wafts along on a soft balmy breeze that tickles the skin.  Through the trees, I spot the flicker of fireflies darting to and fro among the branches....a sure sign that Summer has arrived.  An owl bellows out from deep within the woods, and if you listen closely, you'll hear the faint sound of laughter and music above the cricket symphony. 

Up ahead in the clearing, there are several Gypsy Wagons circled up around a blazing campfire. The wagons are colorful even in the darkness, and they have lights and lanterns strung about them in a most enchanting way.  I am drawn ever closer by my curiosity and delight, as if being pulled along by some magnetic energy.

Gypsy men are sitting around the campfire, cheerfully playing their instruments. I do not hear the traditional old world Gypsy sound however.  Instead, there is more of a Gypsy Jazz vibe to the music.  Something akin more to the playing of Roux and his band of water gypsies in the movie "Chocolat".  I hear what sounds like Django Reinhardt playing Minor Swing on his guitar, and maybe an occasional violin or tambourine. It has more of a 30's French jazz feel to it. The men laugh and play long into the night...their chords drifting away on the breeze, up into the surrounding town nearby.  But the music can only faintly be heard in town....just enough to peak the curiosity and make one eager to investigate the merrymaking down by the lake.

Then there are the Gypsy women...oh, those exotic Gypsy women.  How they enchant us all.  They are flamboyantly dressed with their flashy jewels, noisy coin belts and scarves of many colors and patterns.  They dance their frenzied, yet alluring dance around the flames in an air of reckless abandon, with the ruffles of their skirts twirling madly about them.  It's as if their gyrating hips lull everyone into some strange hypnotic trance.

The bewitching trail of their perfume hangs fragrant in the air, and seduces with its heady scent of spice, incense and musk.  Their long curls hang loose around their shoulders, while their bells and trinkets jingle and sparkle in the most beguiling way.  And their faces are set aglow by the light of the moon and the crackling fire.   Oh how beautiful the skin looks when it is softly caressed by moonbeams. The sweat of the dance glistens on their bare shoulders and bellies.  They are one with the music, they are one with the night.

Over to the side sits a Fortune Teller's tent.  And inside, is an elderly Gypsy lady called Madame Zelda.  She is something of a legend in town.  No one is sure if she really exists.  But she is here tonight to work her magic.  She is the matriarch of this Gypsy clan, and many full moons have risen and set since she was a young Gypsy maiden joining in the 'dance'.  Her head is covered with the traditional gypsy scarf, and her face is wrinkled and weathered by the years. She is the wise woman and the 'Fortune Teller' of this Caravan, and her tent takes on a colorful glow as though illuminated by fairy dust and magic. 

Madame Zelda will be working hard this evening to earn some coins for her travels.  Her crystal ball and tarot cards are laid out for service, and her tent smells of burning candles and spicy incense which trails out the opening to entice those who eagerly await their turn inside. 

Her chair remains filled all night with the curious townsfolk who have dared to sneak off down to the river in hopes of gleaming a glimpse of their fate and fortune. This evening is filled with music and dance and drink and revelry. Inhibitions are left at the door.  And we all do as the Gypsies do tonight!

I am the red haired Gypsy, dancing barefoot by the fire. My toes have rings, my fingers have more.

My skirts are colorful....adorned with stray bits of lace and ribbons and buttons. My peasant blouse falls off the shoulders and my vest is laced up tight. My crimson curls cascade down my back and my head scarf ties to the side. My eyes are wide with energy and delight. Beads of sweat form on my skin as I dance and dance and dance. I honor the earth, the fire, the water and the wind....I dance my dance for the Moon, and I dance my dance for ME!  The stars, the moon, and the music have cast a powerful spell on me now.  I give in to their ephemeral delights.  No worries of yesterday or fears of tomorrow...only the sheer enchantment of this very moment permeating my soul.  The night seems endless and euphoric.

The first pink rays of the sun begin to peek over the horizon, as moonlight still illuminates the darkness. The world will soon yawn as it rubs the sleep of night from its bleary eyes. And when dawn begins to break, the magic Gypsy spell will be broken as well.  I too begin to awaken from a most peculiar slumber, to find myself curled up in the grass next to a dying fire of embers and ash.  The smoke is heavy as it mixes with the early morning dew, and the air smells vaguely of pine, smoke and perfumed incense.  The remains of the fire smoulder on, but there are no Gypsies to be found.  I rub my eyes sleepily, and attempt to recall the events of this magical night.  I am quite certain that there was a Gypsy encampment right here where I lay.  But where are the brightly colored Gypsy wagons, and Madame Zelda's tent?  And how did I get out here?

Just then, I spy something over in the grass.  In the waning moonlight, I catch a glimpse of something shiny on the ground by the trees.  Indeed, there is something sparkling there in whats left of the night's magical moonlight.  I bend down to find a large, ornate ring that must have fallen from the slender fingers of one of the dancing Gypsy women.  And there is magic still dancing around the ring, like electrically charged fairy dust. In fact, I begin to realize that this may be the only tangible proof that the Gypsy Caravan had even traveled through this town last night.  But surely someone else must have seen them, everyone was here.

Weren't they? 

My attention is again drawn down to the ring.  I pick it up and hold it in my hand.  I can feel its warmth and its magic tingling in my palm.  And all at once...reality seems obscured.  Did I by chance fall asleep in the grass when I laid down to rest, and wish on the first star in the evening sky?  Did I even really dance with the Gypsies beneath the full Gypsy Moon last night? Or was this just some kind of hazy intoxicating Midsummer Night's dream?  You know, the kind that leaves you feeling dazed and confused when you first awaken....unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy.  A dream so mesmerizing that you yearn for it to be real.  Those are the best kind of dreams to have. 

And perhaps it wasn't just a dream. Maybe we can, as some people believe.....travel out of our bodies during our dreams and live out paradoxical lives and fantasies. Maybe we can glimpse snippets of past lifetimes in the same manner. Or maybe we are sending ourselves subliminal messages of our hearts true desires, and we should pay heed to them and chart new courses for our lives as a result.  Then again, maybe it WAS but only a luscious, lingering dream......but if it didn't really happen.....then where did this ring come from?  I think I shall slip it upon my finger and see if there is any Gypsy magic left in it for me!