For the optimal viewing experience for this post, please grab a cold glass of sweet tea and play some toe-tappin' bluegrass music. You might just feel like you're actually there.
The day of the dance was spent is preparation. There was lights to be strung, wild-flowers to be beautified, tables and chairs to be set up, and of course, a prominent display of the Confederate flag. Just because we can.
Part of our spring theme was hanging lanterns and I quite happily was on lantern duty. There a bit more wind that we'd have custom ordered, but not so much that our lovely lanterns were in any danger.
And then...
The people came. And the fun began!
Above right: Scott and I dancing the Virginia Reel, my favorite dance. Because it's amazing.
One of my favorite parts of the evening is seeing other people having so much fun - it makes all the time and work spent on the dance so completely worth it!
As in traditional form, the night ends with a waltz, which is one of my favorite dances. And ladies, my brothers aren't shabby dancers! They know their stuff and they're my favorite guys to dance with.
People were there until midnight and beyond...which even then, the evening seemed to just go by way too fast! As the last guests left, we slowly began gathering the remnants of an evening well spent...
...and then hit the hay. Pun definitely intended. The next 48 hours were spent in talking about it, over and over and over again, perfecting ideas, telling stories and of course, brainstorming and planning for the next one.
Scheduled for August 16th, y'all! If you're nearby and want to come, consider yourself invited. :)
Photos by mom and me. She took all the good ones. :)
Photos by mom and me. She took all the good ones. :)
How fun and nice work on the set-up! I love the lanterns and hanging lights. Sooooo pretty. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd dancing! I don't know a lot of dancing, but I really loved taking a ballroom class at school (we learned some waltzing and such). Who knew this klutz of a girl would enjoy it so much?
Looks like it was a lot of fun!
Thanks, Kiki! It WAS so much fun! The pictures don't really give it justice! Plus it's just hard to get into the picture-taking groove when there's so much going on around you! I've always wanted to take some kind of dance class, I'm afraid all my waltzing knowledge has come from videos and lots and lots of practice! :D
DeleteLooks like everyone had a blast! I know I loved the balls my family used put on, and totally get how much work they are and how satisfying it to see how much fun everyone is having!!
ReplyDeleteI love all the twinkly lights and lanterns, you did an excellent job on lantern duty! =)
*sniffsniff* Wish I was close enough to come!
Katysue, I really wish you could come, too!! First of all, I'd be thrilled to meet you, AND it would be fun to have you there, period! You're family did dances, too? Tell all, gral!
DeleteWe did civil war era balls for three years, and a summer BBQ once. Hoop skirts and square dancing, it was amazing! We had it our church, then moved to a school gym the last year, and the BBQ was at a park and we had badminton, graces and a cakewalk!
DeleteIt was open invitation, we just put an add in our local home-school newsletter, we charged $5 a family to cover some of our costs and the last year we had over 300 people attend!
I never danced much as I was always running around with housekeeping type things (refilling punch bowls, checking people in, weeding kids out of the middle of the dancers, ect ect ect!) but just getting to wear the dresses was enough! =)
Gral, that makes our little Barn dance seem, well...puny!! That sounds like so much fun!! I bet it was a huge thing to pull of, though! You should do them again! :)
DeleteThis looks like such amazing fun. I've always longed to be able to attend a dance like this and be able to dance till my feet hurt! Course, I'm not much of a dancer, but just being able to twirl around the floor to some toe-tapping tunes would be such fun.
ReplyDeleteI love the photos! Looking at them does make me feel almost as though I was there.(: it looks like you all had a blast! And I love the decor as well! Those hanging lanterns are darling!
~Vicki
Decked Out in Ruffles
Vicki, these dances are SO easy, it's not fancy footwork, mostly just weaving in and out, turning, etc, so you could most certainly do this, I'm quite confident! And I know it, aren't hanging lanterns just amazing? They inspire instant happiness. :)
DeleteYAY!!! I've been looking forward to seeing more pictures of your dance!!! ::grins::
ReplyDeleteHaving never ever been to any dance whatsoever, & never *danced* anything more than a slow dance with my Dad at the rare wedding...this looks like SO much fun & my GOSH I wish I could visit in August so I could dance the night away!
{Will email you back in a day or two, my friend! <3 <3 <3 }
Gral, you KNOW you can come anytime! You could bunk with me at my place and run errands with me, and then help me decorate! Consider it, my friend. :)
DeleteAnd gral, I owe you one...you can take as long as you want to reply to me, after the merry song and dance I led you on with my last one's tardy arrival! :)
Looks like a nice evening full of good fellowship, Kellie! Glad you shared. :) And... well done with those lanterns - once it turned dark, they were gorgeous against that night sky.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rissi! I do have a weakness for hanging lanterns all a'glow! They make ordinary things seem extraordinary!
Delete"ordinary things seem extraordinary!"
DeleteI like that. :)
wow!! That looks so dang fun! I better pencil it in next time... and buy a plane ticket, and win the lottery. ;) What a beautiful location! Excellent lantern placement I have to say. :) Where do you all learn those dances? I learned how to swing dance in middle school but that is the limit to my dancing skills.
ReplyDeleteAngela, I envy you your swing dancing skills!! I've always wanted to do swing! English country dancing is big in my family's church, most everyone there knows how, plus we have friends (from same church) who come and teach/call the dances. Most of them are quite easy!! :)
DeleteI'm coming!!! :D I wish. I got to do something like that one time! This last time went to visit Patrick. It was sooooooooooooo much fun! I'd do that all the time if I could!
ReplyDeleteIris♥
Is quite the work out, isn't it, Iris?? I'm usually DEAD at the end of the night...and I don't even dance nearly all the dances!! Glad you got to experience something like this before, so much fun! :D
DeleteIt is a workout! I normally never sweat and I was having sweat running down my back and face....but oh was it fun. I told Patrick that if we lived there I'd go to the meetings every Friday and have that as my exercise! It even exercises your mind..hahaha.
DeleteI am in complete agreement with you!! :D
DeleteThis is so magical... the lanterns! THE BARN!! And there's nothing more magical than dancing. If I were a bit closer, I'd be there in a heartbeat:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
"Magical" is definitely the look I go for! This romantic, fairy-tale lovin' soul couldn't do anything less! :D
DeletePut the date into my phone as IMPORTANT. It's also a week and couple days before my birthday. Yay :)
ReplyDeleteJust what you'd have wanted! A dance for your birthday!! Definitely be there! I don't care if a life-long friend is getting married, or Matt Smith IN THE FLESH (get it?) shows up, or someone asks you on a date...just be there. :)
DeleteIn the flesh........I don't think that's even funny.
Delete:)
Hehe...oh, you know it is. ;)
DeleteYay! Finally the dance pictures! It looks so magical, old-world, and just plain fun! I especially enjoyed the lantern pictures. And how I wish we could come to the Autumn Dance. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI love those works you use to describe it!! It was all of those things! You should come! Maybe Jonathan can send you here on a mini vacation! Howaboutit?? :D
Deletethis looks like a blast!
ReplyDeleteIt really WAS a blast! :)
Delete