Ahhh, much ado about faeries. I had the pleasure this year of getting to know a fellow artist named Giovanna Adams. We shared a room. We seem to share alot actually. Our perspectives, our addictions, our mothers...for a later time.

We stayed at the Marriott on the top floor. Her husband was a platinum member so we got the room with the view. Here's a hoot. She has OCD's about sleeping in a hotel near the door. So she took the bed by the window. Amazing view of market street stretching out across the city. However, because she didn't sleep with her contacts, she couldn't see a thing. So neither of us experienced the view. I thought it funny really.

Truth be known, it really didn't matter cuz we got in so late those nights that we really didn't give a rat's fat butt.

Speaking of, my feet hurt coming back from good faerie ball and I was walking the streets of Philly looking for our room and ya know what? A rat went runnin' right by my bare little foot. Yep, first a icky cockroach then a big ol fat rat.

But that was not the highlight.

As a tourist to the Masquerade Balls like the rest I was literally mesmerized when I watched Michael Popp of Qntal play an instrument that you do not touch. It works by manipulation of energy waves. But it looks sort of like he's playing some kind of string instrument the way he moves his hands. Nothing there though. Straight air. It was the most bitchen thing I ever saw. Really! If any of you know my fascintation with "inner" space you would get why that rocks my world.

I also met a gal whom I've been friends with here on my space named Trish. InnerFae Creations. Wow. Her stuff is really amamzing. She makes these hand made clay fired antique style beaded necklaces. And now we are going to work together. She is going to do some for me for my images. Completely and utterly awesome I kid you not. Go here: www.innerfaecreations.com to see samples of what she does. And keep a look out!

Jess and I sold a bunch of our prints together. I was thrilled to see so many people take interest. I'm planning to do four more so we can put together a calender. I must say that she is a really cool chick. Really. I think sometimes after following her around a bit it would get tiresome being so famous in this arena but she handles herself with class.

My friend Jamie and I had so much fun together. She's such a hoot. I miss her when we are apart.

I also got to visit with Holly Black and her husband Theo again. They are pretty easy going people. She showed up at the ball this year wearing a killer top hat with horns in it. But seriously, the most awesome costume I think I saw was Thomas the Corset Maker. He is into this movement called Steampunk which my great friend Brigid Ashwood introduced me to. I didn't get a picture but it was so unbelievable. If I see a picture out there floating around I'll tag it and let you all know.

I finally got a photo with Toby. He's such a dreamy guy. So many gals are crushing on him its fun to watch. I can see why, he exhudes talent and modesty. Hard combination to find really.

Got quick hugs and kisses from Linda Biggs and was across from Greta James. Another really talented gal. Must say, the talent under the roof that weekend was mind blowing.

Ah yes, which reminds me, I tried talking Jasmine (Strangeling) into coming to the ball but she said she had to work. Guess that's not such a bad idea after my crying episode when I got home from sheer exhaustion.

I had dinner with a large group of my peers that included the fabulous ladies of Faerie Magazine, Brigid and Ed, Joe Tate and his girl, Robyn from Munro with a friend of hers who's name is slipping my foggy old brain. There was Jane Starr Weils and a girlfriend of hers, we had Jess and her pal Heather who I definitly felt a connection with. Heather and I have much in common in the way we approach life. We have decided that next time I do a walk about in LA, she's goin. Then there was Jamie and Oliver (He's Brian's French Distributor) and last but not least Linda Ravenscroft and her lovely husband. Ooohh, Linda. You are a good catch and I'm a good aim eh?

I was trying to toss Ice cubes down everyone's shirt and no matter how hard they tried to help me, I totally sucked at it. Then out of the blue I take aim at Linda...way down the table there and POP! Right on in it goes. A match made in heaven. They all decided that if there was a basketball team forming, I'd be last pick. I think I hit Jane in the glasses. (Sorry Jane)

This time around I don't have as much to talk about as I really was working my butt off. There were some interesting situations. Most interesting to me was around my wands. I sold my first product, a prosperity wand on the first day. The gal that won it came back for our raffle on Sunday and won the raffle. The wand worked and she walked out with a bag of 8 seperate items from the ladies of Realm of the Muse.

I sold the "Birth of Elysium" original. That was really difficult to let go of.

Dorothy Wallace was there again this year. If you haven't ever seen her work she is truly a talented woman. She was on the front of Faerie Magazine a couple issues back. Her daughter Rose came this year and was wearing a costume that Dorothy had created and that whole family, Dan included, were classy from beginning to end.

Susan Schroder joined the Realm of the Muse this year and was a great help! She was also showing off her photography and I was blown away by what she can do with her camera and creative talents. I felt very honored to have the women be a part of my vision this year. All three of them were top notch professionals and made the booth look beautiful.

I bought some long wool socks that go to my butt for cold winter nights.

I also got a souvenier t-shirt.

I traded for one of the necklaces from Trish and she was overly generous to me I think but am extremely grateful.

My favorite bands were (not necessarily in this order) Trillian Green, Woodland and Qntal. At one point I squatted all the way down to talk to Jamie on the dance floor. I got sooo stuck. yeah. So I'm a bit older than I used to be. No more squatting.

I didn't drink hardly at all and tried to get to bed at a normal hour. I made it in by 3:30 at the bad faerie ball. Not bad eh? I only walked around the city lost for about 45 minutes at the most that night.

There are more lovely people and experiences but I just can't name them all.

I do want to say that someone stole my wand. My trust wand. How ironic is that? Well, by reading this we know that my wands work. I've had psycics, and mediums buy my wands and tell me they have alot of power in them. So I'm going to put this out there.

If you come across my trust wand, it is wooden with bark on just the end. The diameter of a thumb and about 9 inches long. It has a double pointed crystal on the end attached with leather. Please let the person know that if they want to return the wand I will accept the return and consider it a loan. This will keep their karma in good standing. HOWEVER...I have had a talk with that wand and the intention that has been placed is a very powerful lesson on being trustworthy. So it would be to the "borrowers" benefit to return it before the karmic debt begin repayment.

Very bad juju to steal the trust wand of a faerie. Very bad juju indeed.