.the princess portal.

Handmade Strawberry Print Jsk
Handmade Strawberry Print Katyusha
White off-brand socks
Handmade wrist cuffs
Handmade sock-toppers.

Non brand outfit today! This is an old piece of mine but I love it’s print of strawberries and flowers. Its not very well made though, because my sewing skills aren’t that great. You can’t see but it has cross over neck ties and little white bows on the straps. I made the wrist cuffs and sock toppers too! Print close up.

My hair is in big frizzy bunches because I braided it this morning right after washing it. It works quite well if you want a lot of volume in your pigtails without using curlers. You can tease it up a bit as well.

I am really enjoying this slightly cooler change to the weather. This morning I went in to the city and had coffee with a friend, well I had a nice big hot chocolate with marshmallows because I don’t drink coffee I was looking up at some of the beautiful old buildings that are no longer used and thinking what a pity it is. In the city here, there are shops on the ground floor of most of the buildings but the old facades are still above and most of the upper floors are empty. I’ve actually been up in to one of the abandoned hotels and it was quite spooky, but beautiful in a derelict kind of way. I would love to take photos there.

This afternoon Skwerlie and Leah came over to work on crafts. They made some pretty jewelry, Leah had an adorable little bracelet with glass hearts and was making matching earrings and Skwerlie made a beautiful blue and white pearl necklace with a bow, they are so talented! I just baked away at the Petit Miel pâtisserie, making biscuits and cream and strawberries ready to go on some accessories for my store. I am still organising packaging and I need to get some fastenings, but I hope to be able to start selling things very soon!

I decided to do a musical inspiration today, for something a little different. One of my very favourite artists is Émilie Simon. She is a French vocalist who also writes and composes for all of her albums. I first had the chance to listen to her music a couple of years ago when a friend introduced it to me. I usually don’t like electronic music very much, but I found her songs so delicate and haunting I was charmed right away.

I think she has released a total of five albums, and did the soundtrack to the documentary La Marche de l’empereur. My favourite of her songs are Chanson de Toile, Blue Light, Fleur de Saison, Opium and Flowers. I really love how she manages to combine a natural, very soft voice with an unusual electronic score. There really is nothing else like it.

Her music videos are also very unique, the video for Flowers reminds me of something from Tim Burton and the clips for Fleur de Saison and Desert focus on flowers and vines growing out of her body in an artistic manner. In Dame de Lotus she walks through a Chinese ink drawing.

I think she’s very beautiful, creative and has a great sense of style too!

I brought my Dresser and Side table home today! The King kindly helped me to transport them. Its just beautiful outside, sunny but with a nice cool breeze which made the whole process easier. Now I have two lovely pieces of furniture with which to decorate my palace.

The bedside table is quite cute. It’s small and white with little gold details and ornate handles on the three big drawers. I don’t think it is very old because its in such good condition. I only had to wipe it clean and it looks brand new. I think the little feet on it are really adorable and make it look more dainty than my last sidetable. You can see it here.

The vanity table, or dresser, is much older. Its actually a very well made piece, all hard wood and quite heavy despite it’s delicate little legs. There are beautiful brass wreaths and ribbons all over it and even on the legs. I have been looking for a Vanity table for so long, but most of the new or replica ones I’ve seen have been poorly made and overpriced. Until now I hadn’t seen an older one that really struck my fancy but this one was love-at-first-sight! I can’t help sighing with happiness every time I see it. It is the most exquisitely impractical piece of decor I own, but then, that is the beauty of Vanities!

I am going to have a big job restoring it. I want to repaint the whole thing in a fresh coat of white (the cream is lovely but the rest of my furniture is white) and re-detail the gold. There are a few little cracks and chips on the mirror frames that need repairing and the drawers will have to be repapered. Its living in the dining hall at the moment, so that I can more easily work on it. I will probably post some updates as I proceed with the restoration

I would like to do a few lessons on what are commonly percieved as the ‘virtues’ of a Princess. I am sure we all have our own ideas of these, but there are some that seem to be ingrained in to the Princess image by stories and legends. One of these is Kindess.

Often in stories it is small acts of kindess that lead to greater things. The girl that shares some of her food with the old woman for example, is rewarded with great fortune. Likewise acts of cruelty can be a character’s undoing, a witch may turn a Prince in to a toad for being unkind to her. In reality our small deeds may not seem to have such grand implications, but it is only that they are less obvious, for each little act of kindness has the effect of a pebble thrown in to water, it creates ripples which reach out to inspire kindness and hope in others.

There is nothing difficult to being kind, I would like to think it is a natural part of all of us, only that some seem more attuned to it then others. It is never too late to start being kind, if you feel you have been cruel to someone there is no reason that you can not apologise and change your behaviour. I believe people can change, if they set their hearts to do so. Kindness is something that has to be genuine, doing good things because you will be rewarded for them or because it will make you look better is insincere. Kindness is the expression of a desire to help others and the only reward is the feelings of warmth and love this brings us.

Learn to be empathic to others. There is a big difference between empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is feeling sorry for people, pitying them, this is not always helpful and can lead to patronising or looking down on others as less fortunate than ourselves. Empathy is putting yourself in someone elses shoes, it is trying to imagine what it would feel like to be in their position. By showing someone empathy you may actually help them more than by giving them advice or charity because you feel sorry for them. Just listening and being understanding of another is one of the kindest things you can do.

Be aware of others and seek opportunities to help. Have you ever seen someone standing in the middle of a busy walkway, looking completely lost or near to tears. How many people walk right past them, not noticing or caring? Sure, it is not our responsibility to help every stranger we come across, but if you were lost in a strange place or something terrible had happened and you were all alone, would you not appreciate the person who takes just a minute to ask you if you were ok? Even if they turn down your help, its the offer that counts. Try not to be so caught up in your own daily worries that you can not offer a hand where you see someone who needs it.

Kindess does not descriminate. It is easy to be kind to those that we love, to those we admire or wish to know. What is less common is showing kindess to those we have no interest in. The unpopular, the socially unskilled. When I meet someone I admire, only to find that they ignore people below their social status I immediately lose respect for them. Noone should be below your notice, often those that may seem to have nothing to offer can become the best and truest of friends. Treat everyone with kindess and sincerity regardless of their social status, race, appearance or personality.

Kindness is not something you should try to take credit for. If you do something kind and then run off to tell everyone about it your motives may not have been sincere. I’ve always believed that charity should be somewhat anonymous. As Wordsworth said “The little unremembered acts of kindness and love are the best parts of a person’s life.”

Be forgiving of those who treat you unfairly. This can be a challenge to any of us, when someone is deliberately cruel and treats us without respect or compassion it is easy to react negatively back to them. As the old saying goes ‘an eye for an eye’. However, returning cruelty in kind reduces one to the same level as their tormentor. Being forgiving of those who have hurt you and showing them only kindness in return is really the only way to make a difference to these people. Understand that there are usually reasons that people behave this way, that doesn’t excuse it at all, but don’t let someone elses anger at the world provoke anger and hatred in you. Leave their problems with them.

Here’s an idea. Write down a list of people who have been kind to you in the past, they might be friends, family, teachers, colleagues. Try to think of something nice you can do for each of these people and write this next to their names. Now set out to fulfill your list! You don’t have to tell anyone what you’re doing or why, just enjoy the feeling of giving back to those who have already given you the gift of kindness.

The sun is scorching down outside so I was very careful when I went out this morning to remember my parasol. Even still the heat is quite draining and I am glad to be home sipping lemon barley cordial in the cool rooms of the palace.

I have very exciting news though, the reason for my morning excursion was to begin fulfilling one of my New Year’s Resolutions On the weekend I discovered two pieces of beautiful white Queen Anne furniture, one is a little side table with drawers and the other a really stunning Vanity table with mirrors! This morning I went and purchased them and they will arrive here on Thursday. I can’t wait!

While I was out I also picked up some new books from the library, I have been starved of reading material lately. Now I think I shall spend the rest of the afternoon keeping cool and catching up on some reading. Parfait finds a nice bowl of vanilla icecream with blueberries and raspberry sauce solves just about anything, including midsummer days.

I love Carousels, the music and lights and beautiful rococo styling. Horses, swans, strange fantasy steeds. No amusement ride could be more enchanting. A Link Carousel is something a little different though, it is a rotating series of links to interesting websites and articles provided regularly on a blog, and I’ve decided to start one for Princess Portal. The theme for this week’s Carousel is Fairy Tales.

Making Fairy Tales from Personal Stories
I found this article really interesting! Its about a method of creating Fairy Tales from personal experiences as a way of dealing with them and coming to better understand the emotions and meanings of your own stories. Fairy Tales use a lot of powerful metaphors and I wonder sometimes, how many of our traditional tales may have started off this way. The author refers to having a coach to help you with the process, but I think it would be feasible to try on your own too.

The Fairy Tales of Charles Perrault
Many of the famous Fairy Tales we know today were first published in Charles Perrault’s Mother Goose Tales. His are in most cases my favourite versions of the tales, being both beautifully described and set in a world that was full of enchantment and royal splendour. His tales all have Morals, and tend to be a little more refined than some of the folk tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. You can also read his works in French here.

The Art of Kinuko Y. Craft
Of my favourite artists, K. Y. Craft would easily place among the top five. I first saw her work as a little girl, reading a picture book of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, wonderously illustrated by her. Even still, it is her images that come to mind when I think of this story, each work is laced with secrets, enchantment and something ethereal that I can’t quite name. If you ever get the chance to look at one of her picture books, it is well worth the time.

The Storyteller Series
Jim Henson’s little known series of Fairy Tale adaptions. They are a bit dark, a bit fey and very magical indeed. There are only nine stories in the original series and my favourite is Sapsorrow. The artistry of these productions is quite remarkable, considering they were made in the days before CG. Some of the tales may be a little scary for younger children. If you enjoy these previews please buy the DVDs and support the studio that made them!

SurLaLune Fairy Tales
This Carousel would not be complete without a link to the wonderful SurLaLune. This is one of my favourite websites ever, here you will find the history, interpretations, illustrations and adaptions of our most beloved tales. Many of the versions on the site are from Andrew Lang’s series of Fairy Books which are also well worth reading if you can find copies. If you’re ever curious about the origins of a tale, there is no better place to look!

Occaisionally we Princesses have the urge to leave our palaces and explore the big wide world. I think its a wonderful fun to go to new places and try new things so some days I dedicate to having adventures. These are always unplanned, of the whim type journeys and I discover exciting new places and have interesting experiences on the way.

A note on travel, I usually catch public transport on my adventures because it adds that element of the unknown, but I’m pretty experienced with this and not too worried about getting lost. If you are too young to travel by yourself or unfamiliar with the transport system please find a guardian to take with you on your adventures. If you are lucky enough to drive your own carriage you can just head off in a direction and see where it takes you!

• Be prepared! Make sure to pack everything you might need on your journey. This could include water and snacks, money for food and transport, a parasol, umbrella or coat depending on the weather, a book to read on the train, a camera and a cell phone. Sometimes I like to take Eclair or Parfait to keep me company.

• Choose a direction. If you are in a city you have lots of options to choose from, if you live in the country you might like to have a walking adventure instead but you can explore forests and hills and fields which we city folk miss out on. Perhaps you will simply choose North, South East or West. Otherwise there might be a suburb or town you’d like to explore.

• Just go! Don’t worry too much about planning things, but I would suggest devoting an entire day to the exploit and having a general idea of when you are coming home so you know you won’t miss the last train or make anyone at home worry.

• Stop wherever you feel might be interesting, get out of the car or off the train and start walking. You might find some interesting shops, I love discovering little cultural shops, recently I found a Polish delicatessen that also sold Polish magazines! Maybe you will find somewhere nice to buy lunch or a little park to eat in. I also enjoy checking out any local antique or curio stores where wonderful treasures may be found. The main point is to see new places and look at things you might not normally allow yourself time for on a planned excursion.

• Talk to strangers! Yes, it goes against everything we’re taught, but I think with a little caution and foresight one can distinguish between a danger and just being friendly. I’ve met lovely old gentlemen in parks who have told me stories of their youth, shared a bowl of strawberries with shop girls and played ball with a group of children. I love making friends with people for a day, even if I may never see them again.

I hope you have lots of fun on your adventures, don’t forget to take home some photos or a small souvenier to remember them by! You might also like to read these Guidelines for Fairy-tale Journeys.

The Serendipity Books, written by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James were some of my favourite picture books as a young princess. They are all animal fables, each cute little story has a sweet moral and an animal character with a name like Flutterby, Nitter pitter, Hucklebug, Raz-ma-taz or Shimmeree. The illustrations are rich and detailed and very beautiful, I especially like the horses and rabbits such as this one, named Buttermilk. Her story is about how ordinary things can seem scary after dark.

I only have nine of the books myself, but I recently found out that they have been rereleased and you can now buy them in book stores and on Amazon.com! They really are worth having a look at for their innocent little tales and gorgeous illustrations. My particular favourites are the Leo the Lop tales and Flutterby.

Someday I would like to collect all of them, I think they would make wonderful bed time stories.

Candy Violet ‘Candy Crest’ cutsew
BABY flowercart skirt
Angelic Pretty cupcake socks
Biscuit and pearl necklace by Skwerlie
Petit Miel bracelets and ring

Just a casual outfit today. I love this CV tee because the pink matches BABY’s usual shade perfectly. The necklace was my christmas present from Skwerlie, she made it herself! Its so cute. Very simple hair style today, side ponytail curled slightly and tied with this adorable bunny elastic, Close Up.

As you can see I changed my bed back in to the Cupcake bed sheets, they’re making me hungry