Monday, November 8, 2010

Ye Olde Renaissance Festival

This past weekend, we visited the Carolina Renaissance Festival in North Carolina. Now, I don't expect you all to know my little secret, because I've never discussed it here before... but I am a Ren Faire junkie. Even worse than that, I am a Ren Faire junkie who refuses to go to the faire without some sort of costume. So, when we decided a few days before the date we were planning to head up there that we would indeed be going, I didn't have much time to put something together and the costuming juices weren't exactly flowing. I pondered and pondered and Thursday night decided I would just go to the store in the morning pick up some cheap Hallowe'en fairy wings on clearance, make a simple mask, throw on clothes from the closet and be a fairy of some sort. Inspiration struck in the wee hours of the morning however, and I decided what my costume would be! In a flurry of fake flowers, chopped up tshirts, curses flung at the sewing machine and hot glue burns I created my outfit and made a mask for Joe.


We went as the Green Woman and Man. I'm used to creating costumes for faires in mid-August, so costuming for a windy day in the mid-fifties was a new experience. However, that was not the only new experience I had. You see, out of all the costumes I've come up with for the dozen faires I've attended I've never once been complimented or had people stop me to take my photo. I can now say with a fair amount of awe and pride, that there are dozens of photos of us on peoples cameras and there were numerous compliments given to us throughout the day. A girl pushed her way through a large crowd at one of the shows just to tell me she 'love, love, love, looooved' my outfit.

Here's a better look at my mask and head dress, for anyone interested:


Getting our photos taken and being stopped to chat weren't the only things we did during our faire day however! I was able to meet another like minded northerner who a little bird told me stops by here sometimes (Hi Jenn!) and there were many other magical things and enchanting folks to see.



We spotted Twig, the fairy, as she sat on some mushrooms and adjusted her flowers.



Your one stop shop to appease an annoyed wife!


This is Gypsy Geoff, a fire juggler, wearer of many hats and escape artist. His show was fantastic.


This fairy pulled me into a circle of people to play a game with her.
And a sure sign Yule is right around the corner...

I promise, I haven't been too naughty!


There are many, many more photos from the faire on my flickr page. I've only shared a few here, so if you are interested in seeing more, flutter on over and take a peek!

And, for making it to the end of my ren faire revelry, I'll leave you with a tidbit of trivia. Before moving to SC, I went to the Ren Faire in Tuxedo, NY at least once a year each summer. It turns out, Joe did as well. We crossed paths there several times, even having a brief conversation during a memorably horrendous downpour where we both took shelter in the same shop, well before we met and became friends at work. It was only after we had started getting to know each other and he saw a photo of me in my pirate costume that he remembered meeting me during that downpour. And here we are, a few years later, married and attending faires together.

See? Renaissance Faires truly are magical, wonderful places. <3

22 comments:

  1. How awesome! I haven't been to a Ren Faire in years. Now I really, really, really want to go!

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  2. You two look fabulous. And the story of the magical Ren faire is so true.
    right after the kiddos moved to SC we went to visit them and took them to Charlotte in Oct. for the Ren Faire. It was grand fun. It was run by the same one we've gone to many times in Monument, CO. I love the atmosphere and the fun to be had by adults who, are not afraid to have a wee bit of fun. I wondered where you'd been and now I know it was something completely Oma approved...tee hee
    Our puny Ren Faire here in Algondones is just that but we attempted to have some fun anyway....maybe if we water it, it will grow into something to really talk about. The Olde Bagg

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  3. your costumes are amazing, how great that you could fling together such perfect attire, even with the curses, and hot glue burns. You are very gifted!! Love the Green Man and Woman idea! Fab photos of the faire, loved Father and Mother Yule,looks like you had a blast, and I adore your Ren Faire sweet romantic tale! Thanks for the smiles!

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  4. I love Ren Faires too! I never have the courage to dress up though. Your costume is wonderful!

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  5. I too love Ren Faires and dressing up for them. We haven't been in quite a while. Now that the kiddo is a little older and able to enjoy it, we might just have to venture forth next summer. You did an amazing job on your costumes! Love them!

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  6. I love Ren Faire's so much I used to work at one..lol. For 10 years I was a performer for the Southern California Rennaisance Pleasure Faire. If your faire has a St. Cuthbert's guild that's mine!
    Banner Bearer's are Verily Superior- God Save The Queen!

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  7. I've always loved the ren faire- though the weather here is sweltering when it comes around, a few glasses of mead and a splash from the washer woman and I am all good. Your sostume is wondeful- the mask is gorgeous. I do love Twig's wings too

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  8. i've only been to a few ren faires and they were local (smallish ones) and probably crap. I need to go to the one you went to (near charlote?) your costume is fabulous! the masks are amazing!
    blessings
    ~*~

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  9. Your garb was awesome!! Way to put together something amazing last minute. You know how I feel about faire, nuff said. Looks like a blast.

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  10. I SO love Ren. Faires and used to have the most beautiful costumes to wear except nothing as magickal as yours. You and Joe just shine. This post brings back such good memories, it made me smile. Looking forward to seeing fellow revelers. I think people who are drawn to the Ren. Faires lived back in those times and we naturally congregate to each other at events like this. Thank you Danni for bringing us a along and making me smile.

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  11. awww everything looks like a true carnival ;) I wish to go to a party like that!! both look cool

    Take care :)

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  12. I am in love with Your dresses, especially with Your headpiece. How long did it take to make?

    And I love the story about Your husband remembering You:)

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  13. Wow my kind of day out how wonderful, thank you for sharing this post.

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  14. awesome costumes! i love going to the ren Faire! it is always such fun and totally magickal!! we go to ours every beltane! that's awesome how you two crossed paths!

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  15. beautiful pics! I love your costume - so creative! I miss the ren faires. I am a fan too. Here they are all held in the summer and so thinking there would be one in the Fall, I missed them!! next year for sure.

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  16. You look amazing! Its looks like it was such a blast :) Thanks for sharing some of the pictures.

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  17. I absolutely love your outfits. I went to my first biggish Ren. Faire this past summer and had a blast. A group of about seven or nine girls around my age descended on my friends house and costumed ourselves from her family's huge store of stuff. We could see people sneaking photos of us both days. ^-^ We also had alot of fun with the knights putting shows there, I even got picked up for a photo with one of them. If you want to see the picture, let me know and I'll do a post with it.

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  18. Your Green Woman and Man costumes are wonderful! I went to my first Ren Faire when I was around 19. I was performing with a Shakespeare troupe and my friend and I slept in her old van. It was so much fun! I studied theatre for a few years and during that time we were always able to borrow our gowns form the costume loft. I have so much admiration for people who create thier own. I haven't been to a Faire in several years now, but I'm definitely inspired to return!

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  19. GREAT costume! And I'm glad you got to use my photo area for one of your shots!

    And thanks for sharing such a, um, CUTE pic of me ;)

    Here's some fairy dust!

    ✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*.✫*¨*

    Twig =)

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  20. Your costume is beautiful. I wish I had the time and the talent to create something as wonderful as that. I love the Ren Faires. The one in Tuxedo, NY is my favorite but I didn't have a chance to go this past summer so I was at the PA Ren Faire in Manheim. It's a really great one too. Bright Blessings..

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  21. looks like you had a lovely time ... and your last minute costumes were wonderful

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  22. Awesome photos! Awesome costumes! Awesome Faire!! Wish I could have gone:)

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