Letting the Realness of Life In

Dear Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

It’s been a busy summer so I’m just now having a moment to write about the “Fairy of the Blog” which I drew from my Fairy Deck on August 18th.  I’m delighted to introduce to you... 

He’s perfect because on August 17th I returned to full-time work.   Some of us, I realize, are just busy people with full lives by nature.  For nearly two years I’ve been a busily under employed person and now I’m a busily fully employed person with a LOT of life going on all around me. Can this work?  Yes!

The “Fairy of Letting the Realness of Life in and Breathing Your True Magic Out” serves as a reminder of how living a full life works best.  Allowing all the obligations and responsibilities and dreams and setbacks and wonders that fill your life to exist without avoiding them or being overwhelmed by them can feel at times like a large challenge.  Some people call it “living an authentic life.”

Brene Brown in her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, defines “Authenticity” as “a collection of choices that we have to make every day.  It's about the choice to show up and be real.  The choice to be honest.  The choice to let our true selves be seen."

 In with the breaths of true air and enjoy the magic that unfolds. 

We’d like to welcome all the new members to this email list.  I've met most of you recently at the Bluebird Fairy Booth at the Arts Riot Truck Stop or the Bluebird Fairies exhibit at The Bread and Puppet Museum in Glover, Vermont. 

Every Friday I have fun at the Truck Stop meeting people from many walks of life. My four Fairy Card Reading sessions in Glover were equally wonderful.  It's hugely rewarding to have conversations about what is positive and moving forward in people's lives.  In Glover, I talked with beautifully weary puppeteers, old friends and people who’d travelled from far and near to see the work of this world renowned theater.

Director, Peter Schumann, gave me a great review for our first exhibit. "Emily, you have been a Woodshed Gallery Success. People love the Bluebird Fairies!"  Thank you, Peter.  And now there are Decks of Fairy Cards settling into homes in places as far as San Francisco and Paris.  I’m really excited that a t-shirt of “The Fairy of Not Doing and All gets Done” has travelled overseas to Oxford University.

​Thank you for taking a moment to read this posting.  Another, short and sweet one will arrive soon and then updates about Bluebird Fairies’ activities in connection with The South End Art Hop in Burlington, Vermont.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to send me a message.

And definitely friend us on Facebook!  There you can see lots of pictures of happy people at the Bluebird Fairy Booth.

Be well.

Fondly,

Emily and the Bluebird Fairies

The Grandmother Tree

This blog posting’s Fairy is.....

The origin of this fairy is my Grandma Anderson.  In my mind’s eye I see her smiling with her eyes twinkling beneath her short, easy-to-manage, steel grey hair, and declaring "Emily, all your life you will always be adopting new people!" It’s true.  I’m lucky to know many people, including you, in very wonderful ways. 

Whenever I feel a little blue about one area of my life or I find myself in a situation that feels tight ‘The Fairy of the Grandmother Tree’ reminds me to open up to all of my life and feel the “wide love” it holds for me, “here”.

There is a tree in the backyard of the home where I live that feels like ‘The Grandmother Tree.’ It reaches upwards and widely.  Ted Andrews in his book, Nature-Speak, says we each have a tree connected with our spirit. I know this one in the backyard will always, like the memory of my grandmother, be with me.

Do you have a tree that resonates with you? 

Words of wisdom from an elder?

Please, allow these twinkling eyes and merry smiles from your wide life to comfort you whenever you need it.  ​

“Bluebird Fairies and Personal Stages for G.R.A.C.E. Founder Don Sunseri” is the name of my exhibit in The Woodshed Gallery at The Bread and Puppet Theater in Glover, Vermont.  It’s up until August 16th and will end with a “Closing Event” after the Pageant.

As many of you may know I draw my fairies with my non-dominant hand. This exhibit includes the world premiere of Meredith Holch's rhymed verse; "How Lefty Lee's Left Handedness Came to Be'. It's a fun retelling of how I broke my right arm rehearsing a circus act and got started on something that, little did we know, would evolve into Bluebird Fairies.

If you’re in Glover for this weekend’s Saturday and/or Sunday shows please check it out.

On Sunday, I'll have the Bluebird Fairy Booth in The Woodshed Gallery and will do readings, sell cards, Fairy Decks, T-shirts and the larger-than-usual prints of fairies that are on exhibit.

Can’t wait to see you here or in some other location! 

Be well and, please, take moments to stop and smile.

Fondly,

Emily and the Bluebird Fairies

Being What You Eat

Every day I pull a fairy card from my Bluebird Fairy Deck and it becomes my “Fairy of the Day.” (I love that this has become an important routine for many of you).  During the day, especially when I feel a little “out of sorts”, I recall my fairy.  Always, and often in a fun and amusing way, it provides the perfect grounding I need.

The other day I was heading off to Burlington knowing I’d forgotten something.  You’ve all been there right?  I felt sort of undone even though the day was so pretty and our forest-lined dirt road looked so lovely.  My inner voiced said loudly.  “Think of your Fairy!”

Ah, this guy!  Thank you.  I’d forgotten my lunch.  So, I turned around, went home and picked up my neat, little package of delicious and healthy things.

How does this fairy fit into your life?  Are you eating well? 

Even more importantly, are you feeding yourself a constant meal of positive thoughts about YOU in this moment?

Please let the rays of YOUR sunshine radiate through all of you today.

Fondly,

Emily and the Bluebird Fairies

P.S.  If you don’t yet own your own Fairy Deck and you’d like to please click here. 

Rejuvenation Revisited

Hello Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

First of all, I’d like to give a warm welcome to the people who’ve recently joined this email list.  Every Friday in my Bluebird Fairy Booth at Arts Riot I’ve been holding raffles for our Fairy T-shirt of the Week.  Everyone who takes a chance is given the option to receive my tri-monthly blog postings. 

For these postings I feature a fairy pulled from my Bluebird Fairy Deck. On July 18th, I pulled a fairy that I’d already written about.  My inclination was to use it as an opportunity to present a story about a different fairy.  I decided, however, to use it as a moment to check in on how I’m doing with the message of this wonderful fairy. 

Ah, the resplendent “Fairy of Rejuvenation”.  In my previous posting about her I talked about using this summer to relish the things in your life that “ground” you while simultaneously seeking newness.  Perhaps a trip to somewhere you've not been? 

Yes, these are important. 

These days “The Fairy of Rejuvenation” is in my life as I explore new ways to live in my own body. 

I have a yoga practice I've began doing shortly after I moved out of the city and back to the country.  The newness of my life was exciting but I was most definitely VERY unsure about the future and HORRENDOUSLY nervous about living alone.  “Aunt Emily, if I lived here I’d do yoga everyday on that big porch.”  said Sadie, my 15- year-old niece. Right after that Laura Wisniewski of Beecher Hill Yoga entered my life and designed a personal metaphor-filled routine of stretches and sun salutations that have allowed me to move into finding my own grounding and sense of security.  At the same time a wonderful life has grown into the place of what once was an unknown future.

Last Friday I returned to Laura * to review the routine.  Now I have a refreshed practice.  What once helped provide grounding and security is now assisting me in moving into the next exciting phases of my life. 

This personal work reminds me of all that I am learning each week in The Bluebird Fairy Booth where we have so many fun conversations. The really great ones start when visitors take the invitation to share stories or personal thoughts inspired by the cards they select from The Bluebird Fairy Deck.  Sharing in this safe, light hearted, fairy-filled forum allows people to celebrate and love their lives.  When people are in touch with their unique energy they can most effectively connect with their lives as they unfold into their exciting futures.

So, take a moment to “Embrace Difference” and come to the Fairy Booth at the Arts Riot Truck Stop on a Friday night.  By picking 3 cards and having a fun conversation we’ll find what “buoys you”.  If you’re not nearby, send me an email and we’ll have an e-reading.

Regardless, I’m earnestly wishing that you are having a summer filled with all the rejuvenation you need at this moment in your life.

All the best,

Emily and the Bluebird Fairies

Chirping Happy Birds

Hello Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

Today, July 8th, I pulled a fairy from my deck to be the fairy of this blog posting.  It’s the Fairy of Getting Through by Trusting in the Sun. 

I’ve already written about him.  If you want to step back into winter look back through the postings and find him.

Now that we’re in the easier days of summer I feel a need to move forward to another fairy.

Last week I introduced Bluebird Fairies to a Young Writer’s Project Summer Camp session. Once again I had the joy of sitting and writing alongside a group of young writers using Bluebird Fairies as their writing prompts.  Here’s the story I wrote:

One day Melissa woke up and felt sad.  She just couldn’t shake the clouds that filled her head.  These were dark clouds.  Clouds filled with feelings of bad things, uncertain things and delicately sad things. 

“Well, I’ll just have to keep moving forward” she thought as she sat up, moved her feet around and off the edge of the bed and stood up.  She went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  She saw a sad girl looking back at her.  It made her feel even more uncertain.

“Oh dear” she thought. “How will I be able to get through this day?”  She turned the water faucet handle.  A stream of water flowed out along with a plump little man with wings.  Bird sounds filled the room as he flew up to sit on her ear. 

She looked at him looking back at her in the mirror.  He smiled and she smiled back as he said “Hi. I’m the Fairy of Chirping Happy Birds! Who are you?

“I’m Melissa of the dark, uncertain clouds.” She said with a big sigh.

“That’s why we’re here.” He said as the sounds of chirping birds got louder.  “Here to blow those clouds away.”  He flew down onto the water faucet handle, puffed his body up with air and blew towards Melissa.  The sound of chirping birds grew even louder. 

Then, there was quiet.

Melissa took a deep breath and felt the clouds in her mind lift and float away.

The Fairy of Chirping Happy Birds watched this happen, smiled and then jumped up into the air.  His little wings flapping away. 

He circled around the room and headed out the door.  Before he slipped out of Melissa’s view he turned and said

“Now that you’ve lightened up, Enjoy Being You!”  ​

Ah, my friends.  In what ways can you lighten up your life today? 

How can you enjoy being you even more? 

Give it all a try. 

And…stop by The Arts Riot Truck Stop and see us on Friday nights from 5-10 in the gallery.

On Saturday July 12th the Fairy Booth will be at the MidSummer’s Night event at Burlington Brewery in Williston from 4-8.

Please contact us by email with any of your questions about what we do and where we do it.

Have Fun!

Fondly,

Emily and the Bluebird Fairies