Beauty

I sent off a package to my fellow faerie friend this morning.  She helped me at the Faerieworlds festival last August.

 I realized I had never shared the pictures with you except just a few for my practical magic 

blog party post.

It was so much fun!!  My booth was full of vintage pretties and my handmade wings and silly things.

My friend is going to Faerie Con west soon and I so wish I could go.

I love taking all my crazy art to these festivals.

People seem to get it and appreciate my creations.

Perhaps another time, soon I hope.

As I was going through the pictures my friend took I found myself struck by the inner beauty and playfulness of the people there.

I got to thinking of beauty, what makes people attractive and what we as a society are led to believe is beautiful.

Though there were some truly breath taking, beautiful people in the traditional sense, they still had something more...  an inner glow and a sparkle in their eye.

I think it was their child truly having fun and shining thorough.  They just radiated joy.

They were obviously having a great time.

This seemed to be the common element with everyone.  They were happy!  They were expressing who they wanted to be or... truly are.

Every outfit was unique, just like the people.

The variety was so fun to watch.

My friend Darlene and I would gasp, exclaim and run out of the booth and snap their picture.

The details were astonishing.

I think we as a society get so caught up in what we think we should look like, what is supposed to be beautiful.

And if we do not fit that we despair.  As children we are shaped and molded as we grow, trying to become what we think society or our parents want us to be.  

Yet when you see a smiling happy child how could anyone ever think they are not beautiful!

I think that is why I love the fringe elements in society so much.  They are not afraid to be...  to express themselves.  However I have found that there are conventions within them as well.  Sometimes you have to wear the "uniform" of that group to fit in, be considered attractive.  If you do not you are not always excepted.

When really if we can just be who we truly are, and thus happy and content, that is beautiful!

I like what the Mad Hatter said to Alice when he was telling her she had lost her "muchness"

We just need to figure out what floats our boat and express that with as much "muchness" as possible.

Here is my friend Darlene and I expressing our "muchness"

So maybe dressing up as a faerie isn't your thing...  but something is.  Find out what that is and do it with as much "muchness" as you can.  Your inner light will shine though in its' unique beauty for all the world to see.

Go forth and be "beautiful"

Blessings!

A chocolate succulent party

I had such fun designing and creating for an open house party. 

(the tables were nestled in the landscape)

 Two of my friends in the wedding business were showcasing an estate as a potential party site to the wedding industry.

(not a bad place for a party don't you think?)

Tonya of Soigne Productions and Jessica of Bijoux Events

 I got to create for it with no parameters...  how fun is that!

(I loved these glasses...)

I wanted to do something different this time and maybe include some of my props (since the photos from Melissa Musgrove were going to be great and boy are they!).

( here is some new lounge furniture I picked up)

The house is very Mediterranean and the garden had loads of beautiful succulents, unusual grasses and plants all in shades of green, caramel and coffee.  I took my cue from the landscape and echoed it onto the tables.

(the container above is an old industrial bread pan)

(this container is an antique Chinese wooden tray)

Of course I had to have a few lovely flowers...

 The ceremony had an old world feel to it, it was fun to think of my imaginary couple as world travelers.

(there was a lovely view from this part of the pathway so we chose to set the ceremony up here)

(the left side of the ceremony area)

(the right side of the ceremony area)

(detail of the right side of the ceremony area)

(the entrance to the aisle)

My pretend couple are definitely tailored and not fussy (or girly like so much of my floral work, why they chose me to do their tailored wedding is beyond me... HA!...).  Well surprises to me...  I am pleased with the results.  Not my normal style, much more masculine but so fun!  I love that there were lots of plants used in the centerpieces which unlike cut flowers will not die, at least I will try very hard to keep them alive : )

(a vintage wicker covered wine bottle with papyrus as a cocktail arrangement)

I still had to have a few feminine touches.  I put a sheer linen on a lovely wooden table so that you could just see the table underneath.  Then I pinned up the linen in a couple of spots and attached tiny posies. 

The play of masculine and feminine, soft and pretty with tailored and clean is a fun balance.  To keep the table from getting too pretty I used a leather runner down the middle and wooden benches instead of chairs.

(the leather runner)

On each napkin was a bit of chocolate foliage with a single Fern Curl all tied together with skinny twine.

I love the brownish gold plates...

There were several event vendors that helped sponsor the party and so we put their logos on the window panes of an old door and staked it into the ground.

Our pretend bride carried an unusual bouquet of brown succulents surrounded by chocolate Mini Callas and brown foliage.

The groom's boutonniere was a Fern Curl with raspberries and a bit of flowering Eucalyptus.

Of course all my fancy decor was easily eclipsed by Mother Nature Herself...

Hard to compete!  Beautiful!

Thank you for going through yet another long post by yours truly : )

Blessings to everyone!