Ten Years With Adley Flora Froud

Toward the end of the year last year, I neglected to celebrate a very important milestone and date. November 21st, 2024 marked the ten year anniversary of when Adley Flora Froud came into my life.

The troll child from Wendy and Brian’s book

Brian and Wendy Froud’s book Trolls was released in September 2012. Although there are many, many characters in the pages of the book telling their stories, the thread of a tale through the book is that of a young troll child who is learning how to gain tales to add charms to his tail. I was immediately smitten with the troll child, manifested by Wendy Froud, and his gentle energy. Although I had admired Wendy’s work for years, bringing through so many magical faeries through the portal between our world and theirs, none before that had really seemed like they were calling to me personally.

Shortly after the book was released, Wendy and Brian had an exhibition in New York City at the Animazing Gallery, and a few fey were still available. This was a little under a year before my friend Bryonie opened her gallery in Portland, Oregon, The Fernie Brae, and we weren’t yet acquainted anyway. I contacted the gallery owner, and she sent me photos of those still waiting for adoption.

Adley just doesn’t look like herself in the harsh lighting and sterile surroundings of the gallery

I just couldn’t tell what she looked like from low-res photos.

Among those remaining were two troll children. One, a boy troll, looked a bit like the troll from the book I so loved. And then there was his sister. All of Wendy’s faeries had been displayed at the gallery on tall clear resin cubes, under harsh gallery lighting. I struggled to get a clear image of either of the faeries from such a sterile environment. I knew they were meant to be seen in nature, but I would have to make my choice on instinct. And despite having fallen for the boy troll in the storybook, it was the girl I couldn’t stop thinking about. She was the one who seemed to say “yes, please. I want to be a part of your life.”

I was much more convinced from the photo the gallery owner sent me of her.

So she was packed away in bubble wrap and peanuts, and shipped to me. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement when she arrived, and I gave her my favorite hag stone when I said hello that day. Of course later I found out that unlike the stereotype, Adley isn’t really that interested in rocks and minerals. She much prefers flowers and green growing things. But the thought was there.

Adley right after I rescued her from her shipping box

For the first month or so, we were still getting to know each other and she hadn’t yet told me her name. I called her “Wee Troll Girl” in affection. Eventually I thought perhaps I would look at a map of Chagford, where she was born, to see if any words jumped out at me. Adley Lane was immediately the solution, and the name felt absolutely right for her. Adley Flora Froud.

Last March, I got to see Adley Lane in person and take this photo <3

When Adley arrived at Catty-Corner Cottage, we were a family of three: myself, my husband, and our cat Corvin. Corvin was the mythical feline who never broke anything and was perfectly well behaved. So for the first few years Adley was with us, I would simply set her on a tall shelf without worrying for her safety at all. In fact, I would carry her from her spot in the living room each night to our bedroom. And because of that, and too many hugs and kisses over the years, her nose color started to wear away.

Poor adley with her nose worn away from kisses and hugs

Thankfully Wendy was the guest of honor at Faeriecon in 2016, and I was able to bring Adley to her for some cosmetic work. I’ll never forget carrying her to Wendy’s hotel room that morning, and the way she pulled her from the box, smiled, and said “hello, you.” Yes, she really does love her faerie beings.

I was such a nervous mother hen until Adley came back to me safely in the mail. Wendy had tied ribbons around her ears and included a note that said “Adley is all better now. She wanted to dress up a bit for her homecoming.”

The first holiday season after I received Adley, I invited a few like minded local friends over to our house to watch Toby Froud’s short film Lessons Learned, and to meet Adley. I bought dollar store mugs, and drew Adley on all of them, in different poses related to the interests of the different attendees.

Adley and her brother in Wendy’s workshop

Adley and her brother on Wendy’s work table

Adley and her brother on display at some sort of event.

I can’t quite tell if the troll on the left is Adley, but as far as I know she’s the only girl troll she’s made.

Adley excited to get a letter from her brother

Adley has a brother, and for a while after he was adopted I exchanged letters with his adopter. Adley told her brother all about what she had been up to. And sometimes she would draw him pictures, such as this portrait of the two of them together.

In late 2017, our good boy Corvin passed away, and in early 2018 we adopted two rambunctious young sibling cats. I found an oversized ornate case for Adley that would protect her from their adventures. But I felt bad putting her in there and closing her off.

A year later, Bryonie posted on the Fernie Brae Facebook that she was selling a new Toby Froud troll. And I was instantly smitten. Radiphus Raphanus, the radish-planting mischief maker, came home to live with Adley and myself. We soon decided that he was a distant cousin of Adley’s, and they both had a love for green growing things. Albeit different sorts of plants. Others soon followed. Now, there’s a whole faemily of friends for Adley to spend time with, but I always make sure to remind her of the special place she holds in my heart.

Wendy has done some beautiful guided meditations (on an app, on her faerie making dvd, in workshops). And in some of them, she asks you to meet a faerie guide who will keep you safe while you are in the realms. For me, picturing them is easy. It’s Adley. Always always Adley.

Happy 10th anniversary, my dear! I love you!