.the princess portal.

Last night was my birthday party! It was magical and beautiful and perfect and I had a wonderful time. I will try to remember everything that happened in order and not leave anything out because each detail is still so fresh and exciting in my mind I could barely sleep! I’m sorry, this is going to be very long.

We arrived at Araluen botanic park just after five and quickly began setting up. The Queen and I put up three tables, about knee height. One large main table in the middle and two little ones on the side. These were swathed in black fabric, scattered with tiny silver stars and set with the towering vine candelabras I showed you earlier and dozens of tiny tealight holders which made little pools of light. We wound fresh ivy around their bases and scattered big summer roses in soft peach and pink and red about them (these smelled divine!) Around each table we arranged our homemade cushions. Alternating black and silver with glittery designs of leaves, butterflies, stars and moons. While we were doing this the King set up strands of fairy lights over the wisteria covered pergola, turning it in to a Fairy Bower.

It was nearly time for guests to arrive so I hurried off to get dressed in to my Titania costume. My dress was made of royal purple silk shantung with a layer of matching gauze over the skirt and long draping sleeves of the same fabric. The bodice had a piece of gold venice lace and the skirt was scattered with maple leaves painted matching gold. I wore a wig of long black curls with a gold wire crown set with swarovski crystals I had also made some jewelry, a matching choker and ring with tiny gold butterflies on them. Oh! And my wings finally arrived, they were iridescent purple veined with copper and fluttered behind me as I ran.

As I was coming down the stairs after getting changed, two little girls ran up to me saying “Look, its a Fairy!” they were so sweet and I told them if they were very quiet and looked very hard they would find lots of fairies living in the forrest at which they gazed at me in amazement and asked if they might see elves too!

Cyndy and Jacinta were the first two to arrive, they looked beautiful as little flower nymphs and spent some time helping me light all the candles which the little playful breeze would blow out as soon as we turned our backs. Shortly after the other guests arrived. I was amazed by the beauty and creativity of their costumes and all the work they had put in. We had Sheena as Cobweb the fairy, Eugene as a woodland sprite, Skwerlie as a gothic fairy with her husband Roli in a toga. Mirai came as a water sprite (she had atennae!) and Imuin was ethereally beautiful as the goddess Idun There were many more fairies and athenians and nymphs. From the play we had Tini as Bottom, Christine as dashing Lysander and Emily and Jeff came as the Lion and the Wall! I couldn’t stop laughing, their costumes were adorable and so imaginative.

As people were arriving we began laying out the food. We had silver trays full of fruit and salads, flat breads and dips, stuffed mushrooms and nasturtiums, cheese balls coated in seeds and herbs, dried fruit and nuts and little meringues shaped like hedgehogs and mice! I was glad to see there was enough food, though I ate little of it as I was too busy flitting around seeing everyone. To drink we had Ambrosia punch, mead, grape juice, apple cider, ginger beer and iced peach tea. Everyone had a little champagne flute to drink from and the tables were soon surrounded by people eating and drinking and mostly being very merry!

When everyone was seated Christine brought out her flute and played some beautiful melodies for us. She is so talented and the sound of the flute echoing through the valley was eerie and enchanting. She played greensleeves and spring and I think even a song from mendelsohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream! The enraptured audience nibbled quitely on their forrest fare and appluaded loudly when she was done!

We also had some lovely medieval music on the stereo and a few of us did a little line dance to it which was fun, I’d like to learn more dances like these. After a little while we decided to play some games and so crossed the bridge over the waterfall to the large grassy ampitheatre and there played “Pin the tail on the Donkey”, only in our variant we had a live donkey in the shape of Bottom and the object of the game was to pull the tail out of his coat tails while blindfolded! Clara our Rose Fairy went first and was followed by others, I think it was even more fun watching them and calling out “right, straight ahead! No, left!” while they tried to chase him down. Tini as Bottom was hilarious as he nimbly dodged and taunted his pursuers until he was tackled to the ground by Roli!

After our little entertainment we went on a Faerie Procession around the park, climbing up stairs and down paths and exploring the park by candlelight (although our candles did like to go out often!) Imuin lent me her lantern to carry and we found an old empty frog pond, a real glittering pond with lily pads and walked down an isle of pillars all grown over with wisteria and climbing roses before we found our way home.

When we returned to the tables there were sweets set out for us! Rose petal cakes and wildberry cakes and strawberries dipped in chocolate We sat down and nibbled and I opened the gifts they had brought, I felt royally spoilt! Cyndy and Jacinta gave me a little tea pot and cups and matching saucers from Christine there were beautiful hankerchiefs from Japan, Cesca (who unfortunately couldn’t be there but sent her present by way of Christine) gave me an adorable little cup cake shaped box with roses on it. There was a framed photo from Eugene, a book and soap from Hannah, a Piplup plushie from North and a stunning little music box from Imuin that plays Swan Lake! I really adored all of them and the poems and messages in the cards were so sweet.

By now it was high time for cake! Mirai had baked me a lovely layer cake with vanilla+raspberry on the top and chocolate on the bottom. The icing was made of meringue and decorated with purple flowers and ribbon and butterflies and tiny meringue mushrooms. Everyone sang “For she’s a jolly good fellow” and then we cut the cake and everyone had a piece. To wash down our cake we had a glass of my “Love Potion” which was really just rose water and sugar and red food colouring but it looked pretty and tasted like turkish delight! My father made a toast and we all drank and smelled like roses for the rest of the night.

Those of us with a little energy left took sparklers and ran about the lawn, playing chasey and laughing. It was beautiful looking back over the lake at the remains of our feast and the lights which reflected in the water. When it was time to go home everyone took a cushion as a memento and said fond farewells. Emily, Jeff and Jill stayed back to help us clean up which was very much appreciated!

It was truly a magical, memorable night and fulfilled my fairytale dreams. My deepest thanks to everyone who helped me prepare (especially, Mirai, My Parents, Clara and Jill!) and to everyone who came and celebrated with me. I feel so fortunate to have had a chance to bring one of my favourite tales to life and be so surrounded by wonderful people