It's a wonder I'm still conscious...

Yes, I walked into Hy-Vee tonight in my lovely, newly finished Elizabethan tall hat.

But only because my son still had his garb on, and he was feeling self-conscious. I'm that type of mom, you know. :)

Things went very well tonight! My dress was very wearable, and I wasn't too terribly warm. May I reiterate how much I LOVE my pearls???? Love them!

In any case, there may be pictures circulating later.

The most unique thing that happened to me tonight, besides asking Lady Ariana to cast a spell on a certain person, happened while we were waiting for the guests to arrive.

There was a huge picnic today at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, of which Festival Park is a part. It was winding down as we were gathering, so there were tons of kids everywhere, all of them very interested in these people in strange costumes. :)

Anyway, this one couple and their two children, a boy and a girl, both still very, very young, walked past us with their children in a stroller. Pretty soon, they came back, and the father asked if I would mind posing for a picture with his daughter, who looked to be about 18 months old. Cutest little girl with her black hair in pigtails! :) I said, yes, of course, and he handed me his daughter, and his wife took a picture of us.

This is why I do this. Not just because I enjoy the whole faire, which I do tremendously, but what makes it special is seeing the look on the kids' faces when we take the time to interact with them. It is pure joy for me, and makes it worth the effort needed to do this. The long days, the nights with too little sleep, the pain of wearing a corset (although they are great for back support).

This is SO worth it.

I can't wait until Saturday!