INTO THE WOODS | A Fairytale Cosplay Project

This fairy tale says, “Do you wish to have the curse reversed? You’ll need a certain potion first…” You’ll need:

“The cow as white as milk,

the hair as yellow as corn,

the cape as red as blood,

the slipper as pure as gold.”

Hello dearies! OHMYGOODNESS!!! Jonas & I are beyond thrilled to at LONG LAST be sharing this magical photo + art project collaboration with the world!!! Once upon a time, this California girl was living in Sweden and got inspired by Disney’s remake of “Into The Woods” and wanted to do her own version of the tale with a seasonal twist. Watch this fun behind-the-scenes video to get the whole inspiration and premise of the project:

It was an ambitious idea to take these classic storybook characters and place them in the 4 seasons but luckily I have some very talented friends who love fairytales as much as we do and agreed to collaborate on the year-long project!

Now, come into the woods, and let me introduce you to my storybook character friends.

Jack & the Cow as White as Milk:

I knew my husband Jonas was the perfect Jack but was it too far-fetched to dream of doing a photo shoot with a cow white as milk? Nope! Jonas’ twin brother Emil is married to a farmer’s daughter and so we just popped on over to her family’s cow pasture on a beautiful summer evening with a rusty old milk bucket in hand (thanks to Jonas’ other brother).

At first, the cows were very skittish but after we stayed there for a little while they warmed up to us and then something magical happened. A white cow with brown spots befriended Jonas and let us take all the shots we had hoped for! It was such a magical moment to see the connection they had and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome.

Rapunzel & her Hair Yellow as Corn:

My lovely and talented model friend Jeanette was too perfect as Rapunzel not only because of her beautiful hair as yellow as corn but because she is a very talented seamstress and hand-made this beautiful blue gown you see.

One very rainy October day we had planned to meet at an epic castle in Sweden called Gripsholms Slott to capture our princess in her tower. Jeanette was a champion as we got drenched in the rain with the harvest basket in arms but we had a lot of fun and warmed up with some hot chocolate afterward.

Red Riding Hood & the Cape Red as Blood:

Winter came but the snow didn’t arrive until February so in the meantime my Swedish mother-in-law helped me sew my very own cape as red as blood and when the first real snowfall came, Jonas & I headed into the winter woods!

The first time we tried to take the photos it was a complete disaster as the winds were too strong so a few days later we tried again and ventured even farther into the woods where I truly could imagine a wolf lurking behind the pines.

Cinderella & the Slipper as Pure as Gold:

As the snow turned into the first snowdrop flowers of spring, I went on a trip to America and visited my dear pen pal/soul sister in North Carolina! Kelsey Anastasia happens to be the real-life Cinderella (and Elsa) and is not only a beautiful model but the most talented artist who creates enchanting watercolors and paper cuts!

We had such a fun adventure going into the dewy woods with Krista of Magnolia Ridge Photography who took these magical photos. It was so special that the dogwoods were in full bloom and set the perfect stage for our spring Cinderella.

Now that you’ve met our versions of Jack, Rapunzel, Red, & Cinderella you can join them in an enchanting short story written by Jonas called “The Season of the Curse” where these 4 friends who have a special bond must work together through the seasons to break the curse the witch put on their village and restore happy endings! Not only did Jonas edit all the photos but he also did 4 illustrations of the characters inspired by the photo project and fairytales. (Art prints and story currently in the archive)

Thank you, dearies, for coming into the woods with me on this journey through the seasons. It was such a dream come true project that taught me the true meaning of “friendship is magic”. It also taught me to be careful what I wish for in a way, as I could never have imagined how long this project would take from start to completion (almost 4 years!) due to moving overseas, unexpected surgeries, and being homeless/traveling. However, during that time Jonas & I were able to create our new website so that this project could have the perfect place to live on the internet and I most sincerely hope it was all worth the wait! We would love to know which character or seasonal setting is your favorite.

Bye For Now,
Lindsay Dianne