Magick Comes to Mayfaire

As pretty on the inside as she is on the outside.

Twig Oaklyn Flewinia Thistlebottom (aka 'Twig the Fairy') graces Mayfaire with her beautiful and melodious (and very glittery!) presence.

Enchantment was enjoyed by all. :)
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What Would I Do Without YOU?

You have my heart.

I can't thank you enough.

You came all the way to Mayfaire just to say hi. You don't even like Renaissance Festivals and you came all the way to Mayfaire to say hi.

To me. Thank you.

You brought me coffee, introduced me to your friends, asked about my grandbugs, shared your art with me, even made me a gift, for heaven's sake.

You gave me the warmest and gentlest of hugs.... Twice. :)

You laughed at my joke (and we all know I'm not funny), and your laughter at just the right time made my day. You made me like you even more than I already do. You made me SO glad we're friends!

You looked at my work, you studied each piece. "Which are you proudest of," you said. "Which one still fills you with wonder when you look at it?" And I couldn't decide. I considered each one, and I didn't know how to talk to you about them because you're an artist, too. But I tried and you listened. I wasn't trying to sell you one, I hope you know that. And you didn't have to pay me twice what I'd listed it at. And you didn't have to say, "I know you think this is worth $25, but to me it's priceless." You made me cry happy tears. I am so glad our paths crossed!

Thank you....

You trusted me with your crisis. It was a harsh year for you, wasn't it? And all I could do was listen and hope my heart wasn't breaking too loudly. But you gave me a smile before you left, and I hope it was as healing for you as it was for me because I'd give it back to you if I could.

You shared your milestone with me; what an accomplishment! And we were proud for you together, weren't we?, because you're amazing. :)

You sang that song, you know the one. The sweet and melancholy one that makes me see cloaked and kilted shadows and feel oh so far away. And that toe-tapping one that I'll find myself singing for the rest of the week. And that old standard that you tweaked and twisted and breathed jazzy new life into until I hardly recognized it, and when I did it filled my whole day with delight.

You were patient with me. You urged me out of my comfort zone and then let me hurry back to it again. You put me in a hat, for heaven's sake. With a snood. And a feather. You chose that pinpoint of color that kept me looking in the mirror all day wondering just who that sassy lady was.

And at the end of the day when that sassy lady was gone and there was just me in my old black tee and cammo pants, just me covering art and closing up shop and singing aloud to myself in the gathering twilight, you peeked in the door and said, "You have a nice singing voice. I've walked past your shop twice now just to hear you." And for a long moment I wondered who the heck you could be talking about. And then you were surprised when I leapt through the doorway and hugged the breath out of you.

YOU.

Do you know how special you are? You are MAGICK.

And I'm so grateful for you.
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A Cloudy Day at Mayfaire

Busy, Busy, Busy!

My 3-year-old grandbug at Fest's 1st Weekend

My Eldest has been home, the MN Renaissance Festival has gotten underway, and since I wrote last I've been knee deep in grandbuglets and Fest preparations. It's all been a blur!

And in a few moments I'll be heading out to the site to get an early start on the 2nd Fest Weekend of the season.

There are so many things I want to tell you and so many people I want to thank for making my 1st Weekend so dang memorable. But Time has caught me up and it will all have to wait, sadly.

But when we do 'meet' again, I'll just have that much more to share with you! :)

Can't wait that long? Then come out and see me at Mayfaire, shop #443 by the Crown Stage. You'll be glad you did!
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Huzzah -- It's Almost Here!

Mayfaire -- looking all Fest-ive!

Since I wrote last so much has been happening.

That little caterpillar I mentioned in the last blog post? It made its chrysalis today.

The new little grandbug that my arms keep longing for? She's here! All the way from California. :)

That little shop called 'Mayfaire' that I keep talking about? She's all swept, scrubbed, furnished, and set up. New art's been hung for display. Plants have been planted. Flags are flagging.

The Renaissance Festival that I've been creating art for? It starts in just two days!

The Village soon welcomes YOU

Just in the bit of time between this post and the last, my Fest neighbors and I have been working like bees readying our neighborhood. It promises to be a fun, new season that I'm totally looking forward to.

(And I must have been channeling some of its energy because I've been happily drawing nothing but mermaids over the summer and now guess what? There will be MERMAIDS there. Real live ones that swim and everything. Am I psychic or what?)

If you're planning to attend the MN Renaissance Festival (and I hope you are), here's a great ticket offer from the Startribune. And when you get there, you can use this map to help you find my shop: Mayfaire, #443 by the Crown (aka Tortuga/Johnny Phoenix) Stage. Cool beans.

Oh, and don't forget to download the merchant coupons before you leave so you can save money on everything from tarot readings to fantasy hair weavings to -- ahem -- art by ME. :)

Need directions? You can find them here. Ticket info? Ditto. Too late to get in on the Strib offer? You can find discount coupons at your local Subway, Dunn Bros. Coffee, or Papa Murphy's Take-n-Bake Pizza.

And ladies -- if your guy isn't into Renaissance Festivals, take heart. There's a pub on site that features beer and sports broadcasts. Park him there and then come have some FUN, 'k?

Don't bother telling him that there really are knights in shining armor there ready to sweep you off your feet or that he'll be missing enough tightly-laced bodices and ample cleavage to last his eyes a lifetime.

He'll figure it out!
:)
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A View From A Sink

An ever-changing tableau that now includes freshly picked tomatoes, the first Monarch caterpillar of this season's 2nd Generation, and the promise of rain. :)
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Self-Doubt and Sleeplessness

Eeyore understands -- :)

The last two weeks have been sponsored by the letter 'i'. For 'insomnia'....

(Sigh.)

This happens to me every summer prior to the start of the MN Renaissance Festival's season. Even though I know to expect and prepare for it now, being in its throes gets harder every year.

It's all due to the fact that even though I'm physically exhausted at the moment, my thoughts are a perfect storm.  There's so much to do, order, create, organize, scan, clean, print, package, sew, launder, frame, sign, number, count, fill-in-the-blank. The list is endless and intimidating! And then I have to go and add to it a plateful of self-doubt with a side of longing-to-rewind-Time-and-do-all-sorts-of-things-over.

I look at the recent work I've been so happily creating and I suddenly dislike it in spades. It's not good enough. It's all too whimsical or something. Too light! And too cartoonish, maybe. I imagine harsh public scrutiny. I compare myself unfavorably to creative friends I know who really ARE artists. I imagine few sales for the millionth Festival year in a row....

I find myself wanting to rewrite my history. Insert some stuff in there that never happened but should have. How would things be different now if I'd gone to Art School, learned to use the correct materials, learned to do things the right way, found my style? Would I have a healthy respect for my work now and not see it as simply lucky scribbles? Would I finally view it as Real Art, worthy of payment, and stop giving it away? Would I be able to call myself an artist and not feel like a liar?

I know it's just my inner Mean Girl. I recognize her voice. She's taking advantage of the fact that I'm too tired right now to fight back and I know this. As I try to fall asleep at night she hits me with her best shot -- over and over again -- and I just lie there and let her.... I've learned over the years to anticipate this, too. (Again -- doesn't get any easier.)

Do other creative people feel this way, I wonder? Do they share these doubts? And if so, what do they do to silence their inner critics?

What am I saying? Why don't I just ASK you: You're creative, my friend. I'm in awe of everything you do, and you know it. Do you experience what I'm describing? And if so, how do you handle it?

Waiting on your every word,
~me.

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