My Aunt Sophie was the hip, single aunt my parents were always lecturing. What I remember most was when Aunt Sophie would stop by at night and come into my room to tell a bedtime story, usually a twisted version of a fairy tale.
She would perch on the bench by the open window. Cigarette in one hand, blowing smoke outside. My parents, non-smokers would have kicked her bleached blond, mini skirt wearing butt if they had known.
Cinderella went to the ball alright, but wound up making out with Prince Charming in some closet somewhere. Aunt Sophie would toss her hair and stare out into the night, smiling.
I imagine now most of the “fairy tales” she told were actually taken from her single dating life. It was after all the 70’s.
Looking back on Aunt Sophie’s stories there’s one thing I find mildly disturbing, the story she told me about Snow White seducing the dwarfs? I try not to think about that one too much. If she was Cinderella, she was probably Snow White too.
Images courtesy Rodrigo Lazzarini.
What’s Aunt Sophie doing tonight? 😉
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Terrorizing single men everywhere 🙂
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Your blog rocks, love your intro. Your Aunt Sophie sounds like a gem. Gotta love the indie in everyone. 😀 (Especially, writers – eh?)
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Thanks, I appreciate your comment.
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Hahaha!! I think I like Aunt Sophie’s versions better! 😀
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Me too!
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I hope that Snow White(in aunt sophie’s version) did not have to go see Doc, after her “little” sexcursions..
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Oh, you are worse than me and that’s probably not a compliment!
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You rock!
Yotaki Beautywalk
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Thanks, you’re great.
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Rock on Aunt Sophie! I think my brother has the same reservations about me coming to see my nephews as your parents had about your Aunt Sophie. HA
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Hey Deidra, thanks for ‘liking’ my Snow White/Huntsman post. Love your blog. Your posts are cute and very witty. The intros to your stories are very compelling also.
Tell Aunt Sophie to keep on Rockin’ (and you too!).
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I think your post matches mine, rock on!!
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You are pretty creative! I like your twist of direction in the good character bad attitude character, fantasy vs. reality theme here. Well done!
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Well done ! Your post reminds me of “The Faery Handbag”, which I recently listened to on BBC4 Extra. Keep on blogging.
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haha this is awesome. She sounds just like my aunt Julie used to be.
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I enjoyed reading found it to be entertaining . Thanks.
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I formerly played the role of the “crazy” single aunt. It was so much fun. I took pride in my “title”. Though I did not tell the bedtime stories of which you write. 😀
Now I’m the married, still “crazy” aunt. Some would say more mellow and my antics have lessened – I’ve become quite responsible and am making great progress on being appropriate – which often the definition puzzles me… it wasn’t really expected before so it is a trait I am learning. That being said I am glad it is a trait I am learning. Makes me feel more grown-up and like the parent I am now. My hope is our children will learn a bit of my “craziness” and enjoyment of life while mixing in the more responsible and appropriate when the times call for it.
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Your Aunt Sophie sounds great fun!
Lynn 😀
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You should write more on this, besides I probably date her in the 70’s 😉 Keep up the great work… Easy
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Oh, no stories please. Won’t to remember Aunt Sophie the way she was 🙂
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This is hysterical!
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you use very beautiful images in your blog.. I don’t have any aunt sophie in my life.
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I really started my day smiling coz of this post.. : )
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your aunt Sophie sounds like an interesting lady for after all her telling her twist on the tales are not so bad given how the original versions of the fairy tales would proably scare you and warp you more. including cinderella step sisters cutting off their toes to fit the slipper. nice blog.
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Aunt Sophie sounds pretty cool. I hope she doesn’t get lung cancer.
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This harkened me back to a “once upon a time” when a comic artist from Mad Magazine, Wally Wood, decided to do a pornographic poster of all the Disney fairy tale characters engaged in various sexual activities. You can find it on the internet, in case I have aroused your prurient interests.
Thanks for liking my “Toy” blog. I’ve updated it with links to my “Grandpa’s Bestest Toys of All Time” from last year.
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Thinking back on fairy tales makes many of us wonder what our parents were thinking…without even a free thinking auntie. The big bad wolf and Little Red Riding Hood? Hansel and Gretel would be selling their stories to Nancy Grace these days.
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Great post. Fairy Tales send all the wrong messages. Who’d marry a guy just because he had a shoe that fit your foot?
I might be classified by my nephews as the crazy aunt, too. They still talk about our antics. At the moment, I’m a responsible mother of three, but when the grandkids arrive, I’m gonna drive their parents nuts.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
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Your welcome. Looking forward to another post. Keep up the crazy.
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Hi Deidra, thanks for the ‘like’ on my blog(easy head band-recycle pant). Your blog rocks. Aunt Sophie sounds fun:). I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for visiting my blog, Deidra.
I like this, though I’m sure you were a little freaked by your auntie with no boundaries! 😉
I think most if not all women have a little Snow White and a little Cinderella in us – they are mythical and will remain with us for generations to come. There are some serious archetypes contained in those stories as well, so powerful stuff!
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I’m a bit curious. You liked my blog today… the post on Christmas Cactus… I visited your blog and can identify well with your aunt…. How did you find my blog and why in the world did you like the post of the Christmas Cactus?
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I have a set of key words for topics I like and yours came up under one of those. I liked that post in particular because my mom couldn’t grow plants to save her life. When I was ten, she got a cactus. It died. I asked her how often she watered it. She said never. I said, “It rains even in the desert.” Anyway, Mom passed on when I was young and your cactus reminded me of her. So I liked it.
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I love that this post brought out all of the family-role-playing commentary in your readers–that’s exactly what fairy tales in *all* of their weird and wild and warped glory have always done, made us question our roles and others’, and the possibilities for shaping ourselves to better suit ourselves. Take that, Mom and Dad!
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Deidra the short story is the most difficult to write well, you are right to be afraid! Your stories often made me laugh!
Write on and thanks for reading about Islenska and the Elves.
Sarah Dorrance
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. . . is it in the genes of talented folk? I don’t know but, as time rolls by I see just how many more eccentrics there are in the world than there were when I was a child.
Then again . . .
RR
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I like your Aunt Sophie.
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fun!
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Neat story!
Thanks for liking my post.
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Somehow I think that Aunt Sophie’s stories would have been less damaging to me than what “Uncle” Walt Disney subjected me too. It took me forever to get over the fact that my prince wasn’t going to show up and kiss me awake, dislodge the apple, or find the right size shoe for me. I looked at life as unfair until I realized that Walt was a patronizing misogynist, and the feminist movement was telling it like it is.
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Hugs for dropping by my site. We are both of the same Twisted level when it comes to horror stories and Aunt Sophies notwithstanding. Carry on. 🙂
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Dear Deidre,
I love your sense of humor. I’m sure the love your Aunt Sophie gave you affected you more than the twisted tales.
Do something fun to celebrate you and your Aunt Sophie today.
Joan Y. Edwards
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Great idea, thanks.
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I wish I’d had an aunt like yours. Mind you in truth fairy stories tend to be a bit twisted anyway once you analyse them a bit. – fun post – thanks – love the images by the way.
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Hansel and Gretel comes to mind. A kid cannibal witch, yikes!
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Absolutely beautiful blog! I have changed my theme today to something a little more artistic. Thanks for the inspiration.
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This is really a plain misty theme that I souped up over time. You can do a lot with images and playing around with the widgets. Glad to inspire you.
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Great blog, Deidre. I had my grandma – she was a liberated woman before the word was coined. She taught me to think for myself, that my generation didn’t invent a thing and to always see the humor in life.
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Your grandmother was a rare individual, no doubt. It’s the individuals who get us where we are today.
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Twisted Fairy Tales are great…. When you are older. Slightly damaging at a younger age…. You sound like you had a very interesting Aunt…. But that version of Snow White is just too Disterbing! 🙂
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Perhaps that’s what gives me my unique view on life in general.
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you do know you really need to post pics of aunt Sophie already!!! 🙂
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LOVE this.❤❤ How fun and too bad more young impressionable children weren’t privy to your Aunt’s tales. They sound much more feasible. Can’t wait to see more of your blog. thanks for visiting mine
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne
http://cheyannesexton.etsy.com
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Through writing this blog I have come to see how my twisted mind probably evolved.
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Thanks for coming by my blog! =)
I love this post! You should beef it up. Any more twisted fairy tales? 😉
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Great idea. Thanks.
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Glad you liked my post about having a good day regularly! Love the green skinned eye. the line about the dino bone and the loin cloth, and Aunt Sophie sounds like a very cool Aunt. Will read more soon…..
The Lioness
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Thanks. I change the header photo twice a week. Who knows what will be next.
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Deidra, thank you for your vote of support on my latest project. You have wonderful talent! Will you be publishing anything in the near future? ~ Lynda
P.S. Do we all have a crazy auntie in our lives? (Mine was named Irene.) 😉
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Crazy relatives are the greatest. I was given and extra helping. Thank you and I look your future posts.
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I love this! I wrote a short story call Wolf a Modern Tale, about the Big Bad Wolf getting out of jail early for good behavior and the little girl who lives next door to him who obsesses on becoming his next victim (instant fame). It was published in the spring issue of moonShine review (www.moonshinereview.wordpress.com) They put out a fantastic literary journal. Happy to find a like minded sci fi girl!
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That sounds awesome.
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I remember a point in my childhood, when my Mom stopped reading me mother goose stories, and started reading me stories from the Brothers Grimm, I was six years old, and at the same time I became infatuated with Bela Lugosi horror movies. Imagine, a six year old.
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A mom after my own heart.
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Thanks for following my blog. I am also following yours – really cool stuff here.
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Thanks.
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Very cool. I tell twisted tales to my grandson (5) about the three little wolves and the big bad pig, the three bears and the home invasion, the magic wolf and the shepard boy. I don’t tell him about the shepard who married a sheep. I’ll save that til he’s 13.
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I agree you might want to hold off on the sherpard and his favorite sheep
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Thanks for liking my post, dawn, twilight, and sunrise.
Love your blog, you have nice story there…
Can’t wait to read more on your blog.
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Love your post too. Thanks.
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I think your aunt was trying to convey some serious gnostic science to you sista.
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Mystical knowledge of males, I might have to write that book.
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That’s great fantasy, a modern version of the Grimm Brothers’ tales. I liked it. Thanks for liking my blog posts.
Johanna
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Thanks for ‘like’ my post. YOU have beautiful graphics here!
I’ll be back!
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Yep, even the straight-laced fairy tales ruined it for all of us. Where the hell is prince charming, anyway? Thanks for the chuckle. And LOVE the pics.
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Yea, I’m not sure the prince can handle this.
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Your work is great! Wonderful post…
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Thanks
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Love the tale of Aunt Sophie . . . nearly as much as I love the accompanying artwork. Those images really do tell a tale that’s worth 1,000 words or more.
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I thought so. Very inspiring.
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Hi! Glad you found my blog and it spoke to you…I post every couple of days, and like to think of the posts as little “gifts” to all who are following. Love your “vim and vigor” for your art!
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Thank you I love picking pictures every post.
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nice to read you, i SF writer has always an opened mind and a free soul. imagination is the real life to live
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I agree. Thanks.
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I enjoyed this post and appreciate you liking my first blog. I also enjoyed the Blood post. You are an engaging writer.
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Thank you. Looking forward to more posts.
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Some fairy tales are made up, some are more real, and others are different. Some have morals. Others do not. I would think your versions were not virgin material and no morals were at the end. I would enjoy hearing the not so grim versions.
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Thank you.
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Now I want to know all about your aunt and all the great stories she told! Great suspense-build
Thank u 4 visiting my blog!
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I’ll have to post some more soon. Thanks.
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This had me laughing. Your aunt is quite the character. One of my sisters would alter fairy tales, but in her versions, Cinderella was a fighter and had to battle monsters to reach the castle, Snow White had to rescue the dwarves from slavery, and so on and so forth. So not quite as disturbingly amusing as your aunt’s versions.
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That’s awesome. Girl Power.
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Aunt Sophie rocks! And thanks for the like.
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Your welcome and I’ll pass on your approval!
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So many fairy tales for Sophie to embellish upon — Rapunzel and all that hair, Red Riding Hood and what she was really wearing under the cloak, Hansel giving the witch the finger.
Perhaps Aunt Sophie has moved onto Shakespeare.
Funny post. Thank you for visiting Middle Aged Plague — it has been a delight to discover your blog!
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Thank you. I hope you enjoyed my post as much as I enjoyed yours.
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Thanks for liking my post, It’s That Time of Fat, how did you even find it? I have like, five people who read it. BTW, I love your style and this post is hysterical.
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Thanks reading blogs is something I do when I’m feeling under the weather. It’s sick in bed kind of activity. Liked your post by the way.
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nice! the pics are from ads from melissa shoes 😉 http://www.melissa.com.br/
here you find the originals: http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/melissa_cinderella
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You rock! Thanks.
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I spent a truly delightful night with Sophie in 1975 – we read Grimm’s fairy tales to each other in the original – what a turn-on!
I really like your writing, erotic and well crafted – are the illustrations yours? If not please reveal the artist and where I can see more.
Thank you for your ‘likes’ at art rat cafe – my blog is so different to yours that I’m always surprised to hear from you.
BTW how in hell do you manage over 15,000 followers? I’m so impressed – I can barely keep up with 21.
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Obsessive compulsive disorder. I can’t stop thinking of all my followers and I love reading about people and their lives.
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That’s hilarious, I have an aunt like that, also.. Your blog is great.
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Thanks, she’s the greatest
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I dig the pics with the blog=)
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Thanks I love pictures. I judge a book by its cover.
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Yea! A writer I am looking forward to following! I like that they aren’t a mile long… brilliant!
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Mile long doesn’t really work well for a blog or my attention span. Glad you like it.
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Hi there I love the sound of your Aunt and I love her stories too. Lets face it, it did not do you any harm!! Happy New Year!
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It helped make me who I am, so I’m glad for my past. You have a happy and safe New Year too.
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Wow, I’d love to buy one of Aunt Sophie’s books! LOL!
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Maybe I should channel Aunt Sophie in some erotica. 🙂
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Yes, ditto! The length of the stories make them inviting to me. Where so you get all these great images? These remind me of the new program on ABC on Sunday’s, “Once Upon A time”. Your stories are lots more interesting though!
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Finding images can take longer than writing the post. I search the web using Google images and Picasso is a great site for images. Some I purchase, some are free.
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I taught my friends little girl to make a gagging noise when the fairy tale got to the bit where the prince kissed the princess. I don’t think my friend ever forgave me for that one.
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Love it!
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I had an Aunt Val…. she was the ‘misunderstood’ one. A heart of gold; touched my young self enormously. I enjoyed her soft voice, gentleness, caring attitude, almost invisible presence. Well, invisible to most but not to me. She was the only one in a room full of personalities. Some people can have so much influence over us. Love comes in so many guises 😉 What a character was your Aunt Sophie.!
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Your Aunt Val sounds like a great person, a truly gentle soul.
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these images are great, a new twist to twisted fairy tales 🙂
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I love em, too.
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Oh this is so true. Hansel and Gretel had been responsible for many sleepless nights in my childhood!
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Hansel and Gretel, oh gosh, fatten them up to eat them. How gross?
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This reminded me of my German lit college professor who loved applying psychoanalysis (think Freud and Jung) to fairy tales by the Grimm brothers. A few of my fellow students complained to the Dean, “The professor had ruined fairy tales for us for the rest of our lives”. The professor laughed and laughed and laughed…
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There is a lot of subtext in the old stories.
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hehehehe back in the ’70’s some of the radical presses produced ‘alternative’ fairy tales. I bought them for my nieces and nephew. I was the sort of aunt that your Aunt Sophie was lol
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You and Aunt Sophie would have been great friends.
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Deidra,
I have a best friend that sounds exactly like Aunt Sophie! She’s a real hoot! We swear we were seperated at birth. Together we are one; she’s the bad side and I’m the good, together we are exceptional!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, although it’s nothing like you write, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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I prefer to be the bad one myself, liked your blog vive la différence.
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Thanks for the like Deidra! Your blog looks very interesting…I will look in on it!
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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I am not your Aunt Sophie. I never bleached my hair although I did wear mini-skirts. Dianne
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Good to know, thanks Dianne.
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You clicked like on my fishng blog, Master Baiter´s…. I read about Aunt Sophie, I can relate…… Like the blog…. keep doing it… Stan
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Thank you. I’m finding more people out there can relate to her. I don’t know whether that’s good or bad. Dee
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hi, i loved this post… i almost saw u and Sophie by the bedside and she telling all that story…
Wish I cud had an encounter with such a lady before my marriage… 😦
on second thoughts, i did have… seriously it could b real pain.
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I hope you are referring to Aunt Sophie, not me.
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Yes, that will b Aunt Sophie, this time.. its her story..
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That’s a relieve. I hate to think I’m the kind of girl who makes men wish they were married … to someone else! 🙂
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Everybody needs a Crazy Aunt!
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Glad I can be of service then!
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…from Great Great Aunt Elsie who saved her money from tutoring and booked passage on the USS President McKinley to Hong Kong in 1910, and fell madly in love with a tall, somewhat sinister, German-Chinese general.
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That is so awesome. To be adventurous in those times must have been amazing.
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I, too, absolutely loved your blog about your Aunt Sophie. Wish I could borrow her to hear more of her stories. She’s a Cinderella in my book. Not sure about the dwarfs–I too hope Snow White got a check up afterwards. This was too darn cute. Thanks for sharing.
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Perhaps there was much caution used. You are very welcome.
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I was an avid reader as a child (still am), I mostly loved the ‘real’ fairy stories not the censored ones though. You know, where they didn’t live happily ever after but the baddie ended up stuffed in a barrel studded with nails and rolled down a hill. Before I had kids I bought a book called Grimm’s Grimmest (cover appropriately dripping blood) for future use. Once I had kids I realized how bloodthirsty these stories really were and how much they influenced the stories I tell my kids now! Great post and I love the pictures. Your Aunt Sophie sounded like every kids dream come true, except for the dwarf story of course!
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Yeah, she was. I try not to revisit the dwarfs. I think it was a swinging time.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog. Enjoyed reading about Aunt Sophie’s twisted versions of fairy tales.
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I enjoyed your blog as well. Food it’s a favorite with me.
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I had an uncle who would have been a good date for your aunt.
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Apparently she was a good date for lots of guys.
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I think my nieces looked at my life and saw Aunt Sophie, too! 🙂
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That’s awesomeness!! Here’s to the rocken’ Aunts.
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thanks for subscribing to my blog, Deidra.
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You’re welcome.
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Hahaha . . . that’s cool. I never had an Aunt Sophie, really. All my aunts were straight-laced. Had a few wild cousins, though. I can’t picture any of them with dwarves, but, who knows! They were college girls! LOL . . . anyway. Nice post! 🙂
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cool stuff! : )))))
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We all need Aunt Sopie’s in our lives… and if we haven’t got ’em, Be an Aunt Sophie! And why not? Everyone’s definition of adventurous is a little different. Lovely post!
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A little twisted makes everyone more interesting. Thanks.
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Excellent stuff, made me realise how serious I take myself. I must get out more 🙂
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I’m guilty of not taking anything serious enough. 🙂
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So you came by story telling honestly and early!
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Yeah and maybe as twisted!
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Everyone should have an Aunt Sophie ! Keep up the imagination !
E Jewell
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I agree. Kooky aunts rock.
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I’d’ve loved to have met your aunt.
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She was pretty cool.
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Deidra,
I love your blog and appreciate your perspective as the mom of two daughters!
Thanks for checking out my blog: Cancer Hits the Streets!
Cynthia
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Thank you. Every girl needs a twisted aunt.
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Out of all the blogs I’ve been reading lately, you’re Twisted Fairy Tales Warped Me for Life from Oct. 15, 2011 has to be one the best. I laughed when I first saw it and told a number of friends they had to read it. Kudos to you. I still love it. And I love your Aunt Sophie.
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Thank you so much. That’s a great compliment especially since that was ages ago in cyber time.
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Thanks for sharing this creative notes from Aunt Sophie. Love it!
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