Ask Baba Yaga: How Do I Bring Back the Magic?

Vasilisa the Brave by Lorena Carrington

Baba Yaga invites you to think about bringing the magic back into your life today.

Here's today's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted HERE)

Fear and wonder - the flip sides of the fairy tale coin. I have no doubt many of us could use a dose of magic -right now- to help put us right side up, bridge the chasm, bring us through the dark, dark woods, and emerge with hearts strong and intact, arm in arm with the many and varied companions we've met in our journey, as we all persevere on the road toward a better tomorrow.

Bring back the magic.

Baba Yaga's House by Lorena Carrington

SPECIAL REMINDER: Baba Yaga's advice will be collected into a book, Ask Baba Yaga, to be published in Fall of 2017. Her oracle, Taisia, is looking for questions from our Once Upon A Blog readers that she can answer for special inclusion in the book- right now. Although there's no guarantee which ones will make print, the earlier the question, the more likely you will get Baba's attention and see your anonymous question - and answer! - in print. Although Taisia hopes she will be able to continue as Baba Yaga's oracle, it is uncertain this will be possible at this time, so consider this your chance to get those burning questions answered by our favorite crone. Don't delay - send that question today!

(And remember, IF we hear that Baba Yaga has had a good amount of questions from readers here, we will hold a special giveaway when the book is published! Now go: write those words!)

This is the email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

Once Upon A Time "Dream Loot Crate" - Gift Subscription Boxes We'd Like To Send to Our Fairy Tale Friends

Apparently we've been outed as Fairy Tale Geeks, and we couldn't be more proud.

Of the many breeds of geeks and gamers around (eg. Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Mario, Star Wars etc) there's one thing we all have in common: we delight to receive gifts reflecting our fandom and obsession, and Loot Crate is making geeks happy everywhere, as their 'crates' hit their doormats every month or two.

What is a Loot Crate? Loot Crate is a fairly new monthly box subscription and gift service, in which the recipients receive a magical box full of surprise 'loot' on the chosen theme.

Unlike other pop culture geeks, who often have a large array of merchandise and collectibles to choose from, fairy tale geeks don't usually have quite that option... Or at least  we didn't until ABC spawned Once Upon A Time and the passionate fandom associated with it, which in turn created a demand for all things 'Once', both in mainstream marketing and via private enthusiastic artisans and crafters.

When Loot Crate asked Once Upon A Blog to create a "Dream Loot Crate" on a theme that fit with our blog, it wasn't long before we realized this would be a good time to showcase some of the Once Upon A Time variety that most fairy tale folk would be happy to receive, whether they were "Oncers" or not. Not only that, if Loot Crate likes our Dream Crate suggestions, they might even make that theme one of the available choices for the subscriptions!

Can you imagine getting a box full of fairy tale bits and pieces every couple of months or so?

We had to give it a go*.

We opted for eight unusual-but-awesome things a friend of a fairy tale fan might put together for a special gift box, so, if you feel inspired to shop for the Holiday Season from our selection, this is a totally collectible combo. (Only eight? We totally could have made a twenty item box - there are so many treasures to choose from! - but, again, opted to limit it to a package-combo that might fit in a regular mail box... hint, hint Loot Crate!)

We also read somewhere that Loot Crate likes to encourage smaller business as well as niche gamer/geek merchandise, like those little stalls you see at ComiCon, so we decided we'd put together two Once Upon A Time "Dream Crates", one using available merchandise from retailers, and the second being an Etsy version, with custom and handmade items.

Here are the details of our picks:

OUAT DREAM CRATE #1

Once Upon A Time Dream Crate (Popular Merchandise)
1. OUAT Pillow Case no filling (for sweet dreams)
2. Official OUAT Classic Fairy Tales volume Illustrated by Kevin Tong (because every fairy tale crate should include a tale or two!)
3. Alice & the White Rabbit Working Pocket Watch Necklace (for good times)
4. Funko Pop Snow White Forest Outlaw (to challenge your princess stereotypes)
5. Magic Beans OUAT Glowing Glass Replica Pair (to take you to castles in the clouds - budget-friendly version HERE)
6. Belle's Chipped Teacup (because "sometimes the best teacup is chipped")
7. Tin 'Welcome to Storybrooke' Sign 8.5 x 11" (your new home - for ever after)
8. Rumpelstiltskin 'Dark One' Dagger Letter Opener (for challenging mail)

OUAT DREAM CRATE #2 (ETSY)

Once Upon A Time Dream Crate (Etsy)
1. Handmade OUAT Red Riding Hood Funko Pop (not available in the official Funko Pop line)
2. OUAT Drawstring/Dice Bag (hand-made, embroidered!)
3. OUAT Official Red's Untold Tale (OK, not Etsy but many available via Ebay.. gotta include a tale)
4. Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin's "Every Magic Comes With a Price Dearie" 3 Engraved Pencils Set
5. Fan designed "ONCE - Believe In More Than Can Be Seen" custom printed t-shirt (black or white)
6. Toll/Troll Bridge Sign (Digital Print Download)
7. Birch Tree Background (Regina's Wallpaper) Blanket/Throw with 'Magic Is Coming' or 'I Will Always Find You' or "Magic Always Comes With A Price'
8. Faux Leather OUAT Henry's Book phone cover/flip-case

Putting together a imaginary gift box for fairy tale friends was wonderfully therapeutic after such tense US election. Thinking of what people might like to make them smile, instead of focusing on the division that clearly exists in the country, was a good thing to do, and a good transition to start considering gift season.

Should we create a general fairy tale box of gifts for your gift giving consideration? Perhaps we shall. In the meantime, for all the geeks and gamers in your life, Loot Crate may have just made life a little easier for you with their selection. (And we hear there will be a Fantastic Beasts crate coming very soon!)

A monthly mystery crate for pop culture fans filled with incredible and exclusive items and apparel from your favorite tv shows, movies, games, and more! Over $45 value in every crate!

* What's usually in a Loot Crate? About 6 to 8 cool surprises. Typical items include:
- a t-shirt (or any piece of art you'd want on the shirt)
- a small toy-like item
- another wearable item like a beanie, scarf or jewelry piece
- a smattering of little objects like stickers, pins, office supplies etc
The value tends to range from about $20 total up to $100 total, depending on the type of loot box and subscription you choose. 

'East of the Sun, West of the Moon'-Inspired Designs Walk on Water for Fendi's 90th Anniversary

Note:

At this time of great tension, immediately prior to the 2016 US election, we've decided rather than dwell on those anxieties, that we'd focus on beauty - call it eye candy, if you will - but either way, it lifts the soul and reminds us not all the world is an ugly place right now. Our posting will likely be a little sparse or very brief, over the coming week as things unfold and, hopefully, resolve, but we believe in the power of beauty and stories to ground people and aim to make the world a better place, and we will continue to be here to note it as we can. 

For all those US citizens who can vote, please do that: vote, no matter which side you lean toward, and please choose wisely: think of the future of your/our children, and of the world. You are choosing the future for more than one country and more than one people. It's that important.

In the meantime, we assume there is no real deciding left to be done, only to wait for the polls to open, so let's think on lovely and inspiring things.

“In my wildest imagination, I never thought something like this could exist,” he mused in a pre-show conversation. “To do this on a crystal bridge over the most famous fountain in the world? If that’s not a fairy tale, I don’t know what a fairy tale is.” (CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CHANEL, FENDI - KARL LAGERFELD)

Rome's famous Trevi fountain, after a one and a half year $2.4 million rehab, recently added to its already existing fairy tale status by becoming the stage for Fendi's 90th anniversary Legends and Fairy Tales Collection debut. A crystal-like walkway was built right over the water, (out of plexi-glass) and the models, walking on the water (yes - ON), told Fendi's own spin of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, in the procession of Kay Nielsen inspired wearable art over the evening.

The collection spun its own tale: a princess journeying from day to night, the colour palette darkening as she travelled further into the woods. Consistent throughout was the subtle application of Fendi’s extraordinary craftsmanship, the way, for instance, an insect’s wings illuminated by sunlight were duplicated in a tiny clutch of feathers, or the flowers around the hem of an organza dress had petals of mink. (Business of Fashion)

"It is an extraordinary experience to see East of the Sun and West of the Moon take on a totally new life in the hands of Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi, and it's an absolute delight to see how the images so directly inspired his breathtaking 90th anniversary show," stated editor Noel Daniel. "The artistry and craftsmanship and love behind each flower, each branch, each hue of sky is unbelievable. The tales have proved yet again to be eternally inspiring." (dexigner)

The inspiration began with the recent TASCHEN release of Kay Nielsen's beautiful illustrations and developed from there.

It all started with an early 20th century edition of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, a Norwegian fairy tale with pictures by the famous children’s book illustrator Kay Nielsen, which Lagerfeld found at his friend Sandy Brant’s place. His curiosity was piqued. “This was something from the North, we were making a fur collection, and the pictures were something in between art nouveau and art deco,” he explained. (It was also, coincidentally, an era when the designer liked the way fashion used fur, as opposed to later decades when everything got much too heavy for him.) “So we asked the estate for permission to use them.” And that is how Nielsen’s illustrations came to be reproduced in a minutely-intarsia-ed mink coat, or embroidered on a flowing empire-line gown then re-appliqued with fur and organza. (Contemporary artists Katy Bailey and Charlotte Gastaut also contributed ideas.) (Business of Fashion)

Lagerfeld explained, “I called the show Legends and Fairy Tales, because it’s a collection that doesn’t relate to everybody like ready-to-wear, this is very special for people who have a special kind of life”. (hausmag)

We didn't report on this back in July during the event and, frankly, fashion is a little difficult to keep track of, as fairy tales are commonly linked with fashion, and it's almost always possible to find a connection. While that's historically been the trend, one could argue it's more so the case today, with much more emphasis on a theatrical and 'transportive' presentation of themed collections.

Today, while themed collections often tell stories through their clothes and construction, the runway shows themselves are no longer just platforms for models to parade the designs, but are expected to build an atmosphere of fantasy and of a different world. It's not uncommon, even, for these stages to be specially built to specific design specifications, just like a theater set, but to involve mechanics and moving parts, revealing either the paths to be trod or the models, acting as the 'prelude' to the show, or story, being modeled in the wearable art that follows.

We greatly recommend you look at this incredibly artful behind-the-scenes video, showing the design and construction process right through to the show. It's short but leaves us wanting much more in terms of the tales hinted at in the seams. We are seriously considering keeping this little wonder-peek for our fairy tale library and future inspiration:

Fendi Legends and Fairy Tales : Backstage from Simone Campanella - Videoblitz on Vimeo.

This video is enough to make us seriously consider a change in vocation!

We'll leave you with more lovely designs reflecting Nielsen's inspiring fairy tale illustrations. (We're guessing you won't mind the few overlaps necessary to show you the range of the collection.)

              
              
              

Indie Short Film 'Charming' Looks Completely, Well, Charming!

Prince Charming recounts his disastrous search for true love in a re-imagining of classic Grimms’ fairytales with a contemporary touch.

This, very charming (it's difficult to find another word that suits as well), under-the-radar, indie film, is busy adding yet more laurels to its already-loaded list of accolades (and poster).

Sydney Indie Fest (Australia), just announced Charming as an award winner, something which is becoming a regular announcement from this team. (Congrats Charming crew!)


It should be noted, that the journey to those awards was long and difficult, including many years battling the Hollywood process, only to give up and work outside it. With help from crowd funding (via Indiegogo), it turns out, working around the studio system, might have been the smartest move to get their film made and seen around the world, and, hopefully, open the door for larger, projects down the road.

But what is this film about you ask? It's a lovely premise. Here's an extract from the Director's statement.

"Who is Prince Charming? As a kid, I always remembered him as the guy who swept in at the end of my sister’s favorite movies to kiss the princess, save the day, and ride off into the sunset, leaving everyone to live happily ever after. But why was he kissing all these princesses? What happened after the prince and princess rode off into the sunset? Can everyone really live happily ever after? 

So began Charming. My friend, Christopher Jones, and I wrote a feature length screenplay telling the untold story of Prince Charming’s search for true love by weaving together existing fairy tales with familiar characters. We optioned Charming to Inferno Entertainment (Killing Them Softly, The Grey) in 2012. After over a year of rewrites, Hollywood turmoil and our story languishing in the shadows, we received back the script’s rights and soon re-envisioned Charming into a twenty page short film containing the feature’s theme, tone and characters so that we might bring the story to life ourselves. 

Will Hawkes as "The King", Tom Albanese as "Charming", Mary Bonney as "Sleeping Beauty", Marian Frizelle as "The Queen" in CHARMING.

..So, after all those years of my mind wrapped in fantastic dreams and fairy tales, who is Prince Charming? Some hero valiantly fighting off dragons, saving the princess, and falling in love? No. I think he’s us. Just a guy doing his best… hoping one day he might live happily ever after."
-- Tom Albanese, Writer & Director

And here's the sweet teaser trailer:

Despite the general groans emitted when it was announced Hollywood was making a Charming film of their own (based on Cinderella's Charming), this approach, by Director Tom Albanese, gives us the absolute opposite reaction. The teaser makes you want to see the rest of the story, doesn't it?

Here's a little more insider info via a WeAreMovingStories.com interview with Albanese:

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?The universally beloved ’fairy tale’ characters created by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Perrault, etc. were firmly planted into pop culture after Disney immortalized them. “Charming” takes these characters and their various stories and weaves them into Prince Charming’s own, original story that hasn’t been told. It answers the question, “Why was Prince Charming kissing all those princesses?”
Besides that, it’s funny, cute, and teaches you a thing or two about that funky thing “true love”.

Beatriz Mendonca as "Snow White" in CHARMING

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?I’m fascinated with relationships. Why some work out and why some don’t. We’ve all had our hearts broken and most of us have been in love at some point (or at least thought we were). I’ve had many situations where I’ve wanted a relationship to work out but it ultimately wasn’t meant to be. You can’t make someone fall in love with you and “You Can’t Hurry Love” as the Supremes once said. “Charming” takes our hopes of finding true love and and applies it to these classic characters who ultimately want the same thing — to live “happily ever after”.
Sometimes the prince and princess might not actually be good for each other, despite all appearances and what’s on paper. Maybe “true love” doesn’t happen the way we’ve always been told it does.

Charming has also just been announced as part of the official selection at the Zamoxis Film Showcase, being held in Santa Monica Film Center (California), in mid-November, so it's likely we'll hear even more buzz about them shortly.

As the awards continue to roll in, we look forward to the end-of-year plan to make this film available to the public.

We could all use a feel-good, Shrek-meets-Pretty Woman type of story, with a more realistic, yet still hopeful, portrayal of 'true love', to share with all those young boys overwhelmed by Princess Culture, and our families.

Ask Baba Yaga: How Can I Live Through These Waves Of Grief?

The House on Chicken Feet by Caitlin Rose, from 'Baba Yaga House: Thunder and Writing', by Polonius Ficklebottom

Today's question comes from a place of such pain. 

If you've had great loss, please choose carefully, regarding whether you wish to keep reading.

Here's today's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Our hearts go out to the woman who asked.

We're not sure there is a comforting answer to such a dilemma. All we know is that there are more who have lost greatly, as this woman has, walking among us, just trying to keep one foot in front of the other, than most of us are aware. 

Be kind. Live your day compassionately.

SPECIAL REMINDER: Baba Yaga's advice will be collected into a book, Ask Baba Yaga, to be published in Fall of 2017. Her oracle, Taisia, is looking for questions from our Once Upon A Blog readers that she can answer for special inclusion in the book- right now. Although there's no guarantee which ones will make print, the earlier the question, the more likely you will get Baba's attention and see your anonymous question - and answer! - in print. Although Taisia hopes she will be able to continue as Baba Yaga's oracle, it is uncertain this will be possible at this time, so consider this your chance to get those burning questions answered by our favorite crone. Don't delay - send that question today!

(And remember, IF we hear that Baba Yaga has had a good amount of questions from readers here, we will hold a special giveaway when the book is published! Now go: write those words!)

This is the email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.