Every weekend, Fairy Trail Theater leads enchanted guests—dressed in their finest fairy atire—along Los Angeles parkways in search of the elusive nature spirits.

"As if on cue," writes ParentsConnect, "one likable character after another magically appears from behind trees and shrubs until a whole extended family of fairies (and the occasional troll) has gathered to play out an entertaining drama."

Also known as A Faery Hunt, the troupe won last year's award for Nickelodeon's Parent Pick for Best Children's Theater in Los Angeles. This year, the group has secured a second nomination and requests that fans help them win again by voting for them.

Vote at Nick's site.

Tomorrow (August 31) signifies the last day of voting.

2-4 pm on Saturday, August 21

Presented by David Swing & Avalon Grove

in Weaverville, NC

For two hours, Avalon Grove will take you away from the mundane world filled with stress, overwork, political unrest, and environmental degradation. Together as a group, you will step on a stray sod and travel upon a spiritual journey into the enchanted world of the Faerie. This world is otherwise known as the Summerland, Middle Earth, Tir na n'Og, Avalon, Land of Eternal Youth, and Eden.

Workshop Topics

• How our world is intertwined with the magical world
• Descriptions of Faerie types encountered over the years
• Best places to look for Faeries
• How to begin a relationship with a Faerie
• Travel on a Faerie spirit journey

Admission: $10 per person

Workshop Location: (directions)

223 Dula Springs Road
Weaverville, NC 28787
828-645-2674

Direct questions to avalongrove@gmail.com.

Image © Suburban Chicago News

"This is [Suzan] Mianowski's fourth year creating and selling costumes as a vendor, Brigit's Hearth, at the World of Faeries Festival. 'The festival itself encourages people to dress up because that makes it even more fun. The more people that dress up like fairies, the more fun,' Mianowski said."

Read the article and interview at Suburban Chicago News!

As images of oil-soaked animals and shorelines pour in from the Gulf, many people feel moved yet helpless to make a meaningful difference, especially those for whom large donations or volunteer work isn't feasible. Fairy Woodland, a leading provider of hand-crafted fairy houses, has an idea to fight the apathy. They plan to send fairy houses, built with sand from beloved waterways all over the country, to the ailing coast.

"Please send us a little sand from your favorite beach," the company explains. "Or from the lakeshore where you first fell in love, or the river bottom where you stand to fly fish. Someplace that is special to you, that touches your heart, that is a healing place for your soul."

"Send your prayers, energy, love, for the Gulf and all her creatures with the sand – and we’ll use it to build Fairy Houses that will go to live at the Gulf and bring all your prayers and healing energy to those waters.

While the act might not make any obvious or direct impact on cleaning up the coast, it gives like-minded people the chance to express their sorrows, hopes, and support. Especially for children worried about affected marine life, The Fairy Sand Project can provide comfort. "We happen to believe that love made into physical form, is powerful magic," the company says.

The project will also spread environmental awareness. Every piece of sand donated represents a cherished memory, a poignant reminder of what humanity stands to lose.

Include:

• 1/4 cup sand in a sealed container (a ziploc works great)
• label where it's from
• why the place is special to you
• email address for project updates

Send some sand!
Fairy Woodland
PO Box 868
Newport, OR 97365

Our latest newsletter debuted today, with a special preview article about our upcoming Super Secret Sale, in addition to the latest installment of our refreshing Fairy Therapy series.

As we updated the archives today, we realized something: with nearly four years' worth of newsletters, browsing the archives could get a little unwieldy!

So, we revamped our Newsletter Archives to make browsing easier. Beneath each newsletter heading, we've provided selected article titles, so you have an idea of what that newsletter is about. This is a great way to revisit our acclaimed Fairy Therapies!

Subscribe here if you'd like to receive a monthly dose of joy and magic directly in your inbox!

If you can't subscribe to the newsletter, you still have ways to access to our best articles. We always feature select pieces here in our blog, in addition to providing a link to the newsletter archive here.

Perhaps inundated with sugary images of Tinkerbell and her ilk, people seem more and more interested in darker fairies these days, if new products say anything about consumer interests.

"I think we agree that we’ve had enough of vampires, with their silly adolescent crushes and improbable musculature... Fairies, on the other hand, allow for more interesting possibilities, especially when in the hands of Cornelia Funke, the author of the Inkheart series, and Eoin Colfer, the creator of the boy genius Artemis Fowl," writes The Telegraph's Toby Clements.

In Artemis Fowl's latest adventures, The Atlantis Complex, Colfer – who describes his books as "Die Hard with fairies" – subverts the fairy-as-nature trope and turns them into technologically advanced, violent beings. Atlantis Complex refers to a psychosis common in guilt-ridden fairies, a condition from which protagonist Artemis apparently suffers. Will this prevent Artemis from saving the planet with its human and fairy inhabitants?

"In Reckless, Cornelia Funke creates a world in which characters from fairy tales take on twisted forms of life," Clements writes. For years, protagonist Jacob Reckless years has escaped to another world via a magical mirror, a world filled with fairies, witches, and stone men (one scratch will turn a human into stone). In a quest to find Jacob's younger brother, the Dark Fairy has entranced the stone men and unleashed havoc.

"This is for older children because, along with the nightmarish gothic stuff," Clements notes, "there is the suggestion that Jacob spends the night with a fairy." While Funke's antangonistic fairies might seem somewhat a recent invention, they actually mark a return towards the traditional fairy tale, wherein fairies caused at least as much trouble as they did good. Many people, however, remain unaware of fairies' true past, because companies like Disney® have whitewashed the original stories to make them more suitable for modern youth.

Ultimately, though, the renewed interest in the mischievous fairy doesn't come as a surprise. Every now and then, it's only natural to balance light with a little bit of dark, just to keep things real and interesting. Take our very own Fairy Ravanna, for example [picture at top of article]: "All of us have a hidden side of our nature, but rare is the person who is conscious and accepting of their shadow."

Last week the Fairy Girls Club™ of Tampa kicked off their charity fundraiser in support of Tampa's non-profit Big Cat Rescue. The 45-acre wild cat sanctuary supports 140 felines, representing 16 different exotic species including tigers, lions, and snow leopards. Rescued animals have survived abusive backgrounds such as fur farms, breeding operations, performing acts, or abandonment.

"We hope to make a large contribution when we tour their facility at the end of August," events fairy Robyn Cancio stated. "For years, Fairy Line's lineup has included Fairy Queen Zadhara, Protector of Animals," another employee noted. "It only makes sense for us to help out animals in need."

Fairy Girls Club's latest fundraiser demonstrates the group's continued commitment to make positive changes within the community. The club provides young girls with great field trips, such as the upcoming visit to Big Cat Rescue. "We're also thinking of having a Fairy Forest Adventure (with a raw foods picnic) before school starts again in August," founder Dr. LindaJoy Rose said.

The proceeds from fundraising purchases will directly benefit Big Cat Rescue. For more information on how to get involved, email Robyn Cancio at robyn@fairyline.com.

© Felicity Cloake

Learn how to make fairy cakes, a traditional and delicious cupcake-like sweet made popular in Great Britian. Legend has it that people used to offer these tiny treats to the fairies in the hopes that the mischievous spirits would grant them good luck. Get the recipe!

We've never been able to offer such ridiculously low prices before! But thanks to our partnership with Zulily (Daily Deals for Moms, Babies, and Kids), we have slashed prices on some of our most popular items – just in time for summer! Get our famous My Fairy Tea Party™ Kits – they include everything you need to through a wow! kind of event. You can also snag Wings, our Teapot Kit, and our Toothfairy Comfort Hugs Pillow at incredible deals.

This members-only deal expires on 7/9. Registration is free. So visit Zulily today!

Summer means more sun and less clothes. Feel confident by bringing out the best in your skin using our all-natural, moisturizing skin products.

Fairy Line Naturals™ bronzers accentuate all the right places without the need for toxic (and costly) cremes. Our bronzers can:

» moisturize and replenish your skin,
» bring out your skin's glow,
» highlight your best qualities, and
» create a look of fullness and health.

The diagram shows you how to alternate two bronzers to enhance your chest. As described, you will need a bronzer darker than your skin tone, and a bronzer lighter than your skin tone.

We suggest using our exclusive Precious Gold as your lighter bronzer and Be Bronzed as your darker one. A soft dusting of our aromatherapeutic Fairy Dust for Magical Dreams adds a unifying layer of sparkle. Fairy Dust also works great as your lighter bronzer.