Midsummer's Soiree

 

"Not a mouse Shall disturb this hallow'd house: I am sent with broom before, To sweep the dust behind the door." Puck as he enters Theseus's palace at night. Act 5 scene 1 lines 373-76

 I have no idea how someone puts one of those little accent marks over a letter, but the lovely word "soiree" looks tragic without it. Oh, well.
    Have I ever told you that I decorate every month for a different holiday? I do, even if I have to make one up. Take June, for instance. It has a holiday already, Father's Day, but that is mainly a day dedicated to consuming large amounts of meat. Not sure what the decor for that would be, unless piles of half eaten carcasses. While I do love a good taxidermy, I prefer a different approach to June. I go with Fairies.
    You read that right. June is the month that celebrates Midsummer. In ancient days there was no fall and spring. And so June 21, with its summer solstice, marked the middle of summer and it's gradual declining. It's also traditionally been the time, a sort of in-between moment, when the veil between the visible world and the land of magic was able to be parted. Yes, I was raised on every volume of Fairytales available to modern man. But also Shakespeare and his delightful fairyland romp in the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Think of the mischievous sprite Puck, and the poorly deluded Fairy Queen, Tatiana, who was made to fall in love with a mortal in Donkey disguise. That is my muse for decorating in June.
     I have a bunch of antique baby dresses, some family heirlooms, some found. I hang these up with wings I photocopied from a butterfly identification book and enlarged. They are the little fairies' costumes just waiting for them to arrive for a party!

 

"I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was." Bottom trying to understand his strange encounter with Titania.

Act 4, Scene 1 lines 203-05

I have had what I call "occasion" trees since I was about 12 years old. They were originally tree branches sprayed white and arranged in a vase. They were decorated with ornaments I made of pretty stickers and pictures cut from magazine. I started with Easter and went on to collect and make ornaments for any holiday that came about, or that I could make up. A couple of years ago I found this tree at an after Christmas sale for $10. Now I have a lighted Occasion tree!

The set of cardboard fairies is one my mom gave me as a stocking present long ago. All the birds were in pairs from the Dollar Tree for, you guessed it, a dollar. The dragonflies were made by my boys as a Midsummer's craft years ago and remind me of happy memories every time I put them out. The glitter crusted ones were a buck at Walmart. Any clear sparkly ones are after Christmas sale goodies from Hobby Lobby. The glass balls are antique ones. All this has been collected over the last 30 years.

The whole room gets decorated. There are butterfly clings all over the walls that my Dear Friend got me years ago as a pick-me-up present. All my pastel trees were found at Goodwill.

Squeaky the Squirrel gets dressed for every holiday.  In June he channels his inner fairy. He never looks too happy about it. The stuffed bobcat, Fluffy, also gets humiliated. I didn't get a picture, but she is wearing a rhinestone tiara.

I had a small party with some lovely people. On the candles are paper butterflies that I photocopied from a butterfly book, twice. Then I cut them out and glued them together so they have a top and a bottom. I glued these to long copper wires that I can twist around things and they look like they are hovering, or flying through the air.

And to celebrate a magical time of the year I made Elderflower Cordial and Rhubarb Water to mix with sparkling water for drinks. I made Elderflower Posset for the first time. We also had fudgey button cookies and chocolate covered pomegranate bites. 

It was so much fun! I love to have friends over who are always up to trying new and sometimes odd sounding things. My next posts will be recipes for the Elderflower Cordial and Posset, and also the Rhubarb Water. I hope your Midsummer was magical!

 "I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania some time of the night, Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight; And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in." Oberon speaking to Puck.
Act 2 Scene 1 lines 249-56