Article by Shannon Edgar, featured in the Fall Issue of Faerie Magazine

Close your eyes...imagine you are 5 years old again...at your birthday party. Now imagine that the hired entertainment is a real live fairy! Wouldn’t you have loved this for your special day? Well, these days there are many entertainers who work as fairies! In this column we will travel to different parts of the world to visit with various fairy performers...in this issue we will visit with two fairies from the Northeast United States who are also Spoutwood Farm “Celebrefairies”.

Posie Fairy, fae name of Dana Stout, hails from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. A long-time attendee of Spoutwood’s Fairie Festival, she is now “Administrelf” and co-producer of the event. Her love of children and one particular costume transformed her into Posie in 2001. She attended that year wearing what she calls “Blue”, a pale blue and lavender ballet style dress festooned with flowers of all types. Stopped every 50 feet or so for photographs or children asking if she was a real fairy, she just knew she needed to do something involving the dress and children. She decided on a fairy name of Posie, mostly due to “Blue” looking like a bouquet or “posie” of flowers and performed at her first party in August of that year.

“Blue” has since been semi-retired (but is brought out for extra-special children or special request) but Posie currently counts 15 costumes in her wardrobe with more in mind. She admits she is no seamstress but creates her look using dresses that she finds locally and embellishes using flowers. Tiaras and wreaths are a snap for her to create and while she is an accomplished wing maker herself, she usually wears elaborate wings from Lynne Jones and other talented wing makers. Lately she has become quite fond of khussas, heavily beaded and sequined shoes from India, the perfect fairy shoes!

Posie entertains at mainly birthday parties with the occasional wedding reception here or there. She has visited children’s wards and entertained at a camp for children with special needs. She also is a beloved fairy character at Spoutwood, as well as Maryland Faerie Festival, The Rosemary House’s Fairy Festival and visits local businesses such as The Studio in York, PA and Painting Red Rhinos children’s boutique in Mechanicsburg, PA. She also performs at other festivals and businesses year-round.

Posie’s Fairy Ring, a large circle laid out on the floor with silk flower heads, gemstones, seashells and other pretty items, is a favorite at her parties. It is a perfect spot for learning Fairy Lessons, receiving a Fairy Blessing from her special wand and learning the proper way to make a wish. She brings a craft for all to enjoy, anything from stringing a pretty beaded bracelet or making fairy dust to take home and sprinkle on the flowerbeds. Storytelling is quite popular at most children’s events so Posie is always sure to tell the story of how she became Posie, which is as follows:

Posie also enjoys sing-a-longs with the children she entertains, so traditional children’s songs are used and sometimes improvised, such as: “I’m A Fairy Teapot”, “You Are My Sunshine”, and “If You Believe in Fairies”. Colorful, shiny stones called Gnomestones are handed out as a parting gift and handmade favors such as wings, crowns and dragon horns are distributed before the party begins.

Posie is constantly inspired by nature, her friends and the children she interacts with. Her favorite part about being a birthday fairy is the look of wonder on the children's faces and the knowledge that she is instilling the belief in fairies and encouraging imagination. Even for those skeptical children, she knows that deep down in their hearts, they truly WANT to believe.

Posie mainly serves the Southcentral Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland areas but will consider fluttering off to Paris if the offer is right! She can be reached by phone at 717-249-1805 or her website: www.posiefairy.com

Drawing inspiration from nature, books and her imagination, her costumes are elegant and beautiful. Most of her wing collection consists of Master Wingmaker Lynne Jones’ wearable creations. Sweet Pea feels that, “You can never have enough gowns, crowns, wands and wings!” While she does not hand make her costuming, she puts together a magical look which convinces the most skeptical child that she is indeed a real fairy!

Sweet Pea Faerie has entertained for countless children at birthday parties, wedding receptions, holiday parties, nursery & elementary school assemblies, classrooms, family picnic, summer camps and Make-A-Wish Foundation events. She is a well-known and beloved fairy character at the Spoutwood Farm Fairie Festival in Glen Rock, PA.

Children easily fall under her spell as they become “Planet Earth Helpers” and learn yoga postures that “transform” them into birds, trees, an arrow and a frog. An inflated globe is passed around the circle while they sing improvised verses “You’ve got the whole world in your hands, you’ve got the fairies and the elves in your hands”. Sweet Pea shares stories of ancient fairie lore. Sometimes the fairies call Sweet Pea on her bejeweled phone during her visit, which is always fun to listen in on.

The pace of the parties is quick and upbeat at times and quiet and reflective at others, sprinkled with laughter and fun. Her “Faerie Pledge” instantly turns the children into “Planet Earth Helpers”. Everyone is blessed with faerie dust and are encouraged to choose their own faerie name. Sweet Pea gifts all the children with a charm from her collection of rocks, shells, baubles and trinkets. The birthday child receives a complimentary crown and wand and is “transformed” into a real faerie. Additional crowns, wands and pouches filled with magical charms can be custom ordered in lieu of handing out “traditional” goodie bags. Beautiful paper ribbon dolls can be ordered in advance if desired.

Much of Sweet Pea’s inspiration has come from her own children, contributing to her story, the landscape of the Realm and the imagery included in her poems and lyrical monologues. Her youngest, Grace, brought forth the most magical of magic words, “Kubiando”. “Kubiando” has been adopted by the Spoutwood Fairies as the official fairie greeting. Her youngest son Alex named the forest which surrounds Kubiando Castle while swinging from a tree limb and shouting “Himberly Timbers!” And older boy Gabe comforted her before a day full of booked parties by handing her a cup of imaginary ginger tea and saying, “Don’t be scared Mommy, just drink up some Heroic Brew!”

Sweet Pea says that she entertains anywhere the Rainbow ends, but mainly serves New Jersey and the New York Metro area. She can be reached by Fairie Fone at 973-659-1358. Vist her website at www.kubiando.com.