It's that time of the year again. A time to wander the Dickensian streets of old London and immerse yourself in a Victorian wonderland. The amount of fun here is endless. Discover handmade crafts from vendors all over, watch a play at one of the many theaters, listen to carolers on one of the many stages, eat, drink and be merry. There are over 700 costumed players to entertain you at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair. It's fantastic. And they NEVER break character. Quite entertaining.

Great Dickens Christmas Fair // Ashley Petersen Photo

As we slowly made our way through the Dickens Christmas Fair, I found a few vendors that I absolutely fell in love with their work.

Broom Magic, based out of Eugene, OR has been making brooms for over 30 years. The handmade quality is impeccable, not only is my new broom extremely functional as an everyday broom, I can't wait to use it as a prop in a photo shoot. Check out the variety of brooms on their website.

I also came across an antique key jewelry maker, called Storyteller Keys, based out of Atascadero, CA. She has various necklaces with keys, that she has been collecting for over 20 years. I found a treasure at this booth. My husband bought me a pocket watch necklace, but the really interesting part is that it is an old Russian watch and all the mechanical parts are exposed. Check out JoAnne's website at Storyteller Keys.

Next we headed over to Dancing Flame Candle, a magical place you can dip your own candles and customize the color. I made a really cute Christmas tree that can be used as a candle or as an ornament.

Don't miss....The absinthe tasting at The Bohemian Pub. The cinnamon crunch almonds from a trolley cart. English tea with cakes and sandwiches at Cuthbert's Tea Shop. Send a telegram to anyone at the Fair at the Central London Telegraph Co.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is running on the weekends from November 23rd to December 22nd at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA. Be sure to visit this magical place. For more information check out the Great Dickens Website.

I'll be heading back to the fair mid December to photograph more portraits. Stay tuned to a future blog post dedicated to the characters I meet there.

This past Friday was the Oakland A's Dog Day at the Park. There was a fun pregame pup rally and a parade of 840 dogs led by Dogs4Diabetes. I photographed the parade and met some very nice people and dogs during the game. Not only did the A's win against the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1, but they also raised money for Dogs4Diabetes and Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). These are two organizations that I really admire. About three months ago my fiancé was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Overnight our world changed and in the beginning when we met his counselor, we saw their poster in her office and saw that they were based in Concord, CA. I saw that as a sign. It's a non-profit organization that trains medical-alert service dogs to detect hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) in diabetic youths and adults and alert their partner or other family member of this situation. I really hope to work with them in the future. ARF is an amazing organization, it not only aids abandoned and homeless animals, but also promotes the concept that people's lives can be enhanced by strengthening the bonds between humans and animals. This really hits home for me as well, my grandmother was a huge supporter and created the Beverly Bridges Scholarship Fund with ARF right before she passed away. I hope to be able to work with ARF again on behalf of my family and help anyway I can.