Practical Magic... Faeries and a give away!

Well Anna over at Frosted Petunias is hosting another lovely Practical Magic Blog Party so as we check in with our favorite Aunts we find them having sherry in their garden thinking up spells and ways to interfere in people's love life...

They were eating strawberries and generally enjoying themselves,

maybe a bit too much sherry...

However the solstice was coming up and the Aunts were presenting but they really didn't know what they were going to do...  

"We have demonstrated about all the magical ingredients one can put in your beauty products to keep you young..."

"We've talked about how love can heal a curse of generations...  

What are we to do?"

Later when they went into their solarium to practice their spells a wondrous transformation had taken place...

There was a magical mossy parasol just outside the door and a trail of rose petals leading them in...

Even the kitties noticed something was different.

There were beautiful magical wings and faerie clothes laid out everywhere...

"Of course...  we haven't presented anything about the Fae yet...  that's what we will do.

We can talk about the power of belief and faith, about asking for help from the wee folk.

Look at all the lovely things we can show people to help them remember the faeries..."

"Magical floral wreaths for your hair, beautiful gowns..."

And absolutely everywhere they looked were the most beautiful wings...

"These will surly please the humans and bring faerie magic to the people"

Wings were everywhere...

Some were made from the lovely vintage shawls the Aunts loved to wear...

Some were made from the botanical and natural ingredients the Aunts used in their potions,

 but always with a vintage touch of lace or jewels.

Lots of branches and vines mixed with vintage lace and flowers from the garden.

And of course Pussy Willow wings..

Because you know all the cats had a hand or should we say "paw" in the magic.

There were faerie nests...

And the most fantastical faerie tree house they had ever seen.  

This beat even Maria's old house that Jillian and Sally would play in.

It had a lovely sleeping loft...

A downstairs sitting area...

Little flats in the branches for practicing your spells or enjoying a read...

So it was decided that the Aunts would present all about faerie magic at the Solstice.  

They had to of course prepare some of their own potions so they got busy making lovely lotions and oils from rose petals, amber powder and other such worthy natural offerings.

They worked late into the night with many a midnight margarita...

and finally when they were all done with their bags packed...

Aunt Louise looked through the magic looking glass and saw their destination... 

and with giddy anticipation...

off they went to the solstice.

And as with everything the aunts do wonderful unexplained things happened

Aunt Louise suddenly had the most beautiful set of wings, cloak and a wreath appear...

Aunt Thelma suddenly had a wonderful wreath on her head.  So now they looked the part, thanks to the faeries...

At the solstice their booth was declared the most beautiful and mystical and was simply dripping with vintage magic.

All the wares the faeries created along with those of the aunts were displayed

All the wings were out...

The most wonderful magic folk came to visit. 

I think along side the witch there is also a little faerie in all of us don't you?

A most magical mushroom lady came to say hello...

Aunt Thelma loved playing with all the wreaths.

There was chocolate cake for breakfast and midnight margaritas

They met a most wonderful kindred friend by the name of Big Sir Darling...

(that's her on the right)

And dancing naked around the bonfire at the full moon.  However the Aunts elected to keep their clothes on even though many did not...  after all nudity was optional as you well remember.

( I know it is difficult to see anything but the fire but do remember that the Fae are sometimes hard to photograph...)

Sprightly creatures played magical music...

All in all it was one of the best festivals ever.  Everyone said that the Aunts presentation was fabulous!

The people in attendance really understood that to be normal is not really a virtue, it rather denotes a lack of courage!

These were some of the most wonderfully courageous, not normal,  magical beings ever!

Practical magical faerie blessings to everyone!

Thank you Anna!

Click HERE to see the other posts.

OH DEAR...  I ALMOST FORGOT!!!  (too many margaritas!)  For any one that leaves a comment that is also a follower I will enter their name into the witches hat to win a faerie nest.  I will pick two winners, one for the green nest and one for the dragon fly nest both of which are show above.  I will draw the name on October the 1st and let you know!

I am back... SUPER LONG POST!!!

Wow...  where does the time go to?  Between weddings, kitties and the faeries I have been beyond busy!  I have missed all of you and missed posting all sorts of goodies.  Back to back weddings, new cats with medical issues and my hasty decision to be a vendor at the Faerieworlds festival in Oregon leaves no time to do much of anything else.   So I will post a few items in the next several days as any one is too long for one post.  The first blog are pics of what is now one of my all time favorite weddings.  It just made it onto the Style Me Pretty blog site which I am so happy about.  So without further ado...  the wedding!

It took place on the ranch where I live.  Here they are in an old abandoned green house that's on the property.  Cool shot huh?
We have these fun old cow sheds that we have turned into changing rooms for the bride and groom that are adjacent to the barn where the reception was.  Here is the inside with the bridesmaids bouquets and some vintage clothes I hung up as decor

Here she is getting ready...

Her bouquet.  I made it with Peonies, blue Thistle, Garden Roses, Jasmine and some kind of grass stalks that were in a field across from my home.

Up close of one of the bridesmaid's bouquets.  It has Lavender, Garden Roses, Wheat, Grass stalks and blue Thistle.

A very pretty lady both inside and out!

The boutonnieres were made with raw cotton harking to her Southern roots) and Lavender with a few other bits.

The ceremony site was at the base of a 200 year old Sycamore tree.  I hung curtains from another couple of trees with 2 old barn doors staked into the ground as an entrance.  Right over the vow site was hung a beautiful chandelier, with a few others scattered about.

Those are vintage purses hung on the doors with flowers in them.  In the window pane openings I hung vintage perfume bottles with a flowers in them.

The altar table.  Being the sentimental girl that I am I used my work table which I had used to create all their flower arrangements.  They also used my grandmothers crystal for the communion.

We also hung garlands in the trees over the guests heads.

The guests sat on old church pews and chairs which had tin pockets and vintage bottles with flowers as aisle decorations.

"I now pronounce you..."

Are these some beautiful grounds or what?!?

Some nearby goats...  we are a ranch after all!

The bride is a fashion designer and the groom is a writer so all though out were details that hinted at their professions.  Here is the guest "card" table.  I used vintage type trays with messages spelled out, old books, ink wells with flowers in them...  The guests names were written on scrolled up poetry or passages from their favorite books.

One of the outdoor lounges.

The barn entrance was draped in burlap and gauze and tied back with vintage fringe and tassels.

The bride is from North Carolina so we had branches draped with Spanish Moss hanging from the rafters.  Her mom picked cotton which I wove into a wreath for the back wall.

Lot

We used all my vintage china.

Each table had a different pattern of china.

Because of her southern heritage we had a tea table where a guest could take a pot of tea back to their table.  I supplied all the tea pots, cups and saucers and vintage napkins ( I know... I have tons of stuff!).

Some of the tables were barn wood with lace runners and some were round tables draped in layers of linen and tulle and hitched up with tassels and vintage broaches.

Some of the cocktail tables...

An inside lounge.  I had a vintage dress form as a node to her designer trade.

Fun details like windows hung inside with old keys and flower tied to the bottom.

I used old spools with flowers again as a nod to her profession.

Flowery prose, don't you think?

Flower patterned fabric...

The guest's names were pinned to old fashioned thread bobbins.

All in all it really was so beautiful!!

Goodness I don't post for awhile and then I don't know when to quit!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Blessings all!

Tricia