.the princess portal.

photo by ordinary guy

I’ve been a busy little Princess lately, and have been implementing some exciting new features to the Portal. Firstly, I’m happy to announce that ‘Ask the Princess’ is back!

For those who are new to the Portal, ‘Ask the Princess’ is a page I previously ran on Princess Portal where readers could write in to me and ask a question of interest to them, it may be about fashion, lifestyle, personal advice or anything at all. Unfortunately I found that the time spent on answering all of these questions promptly was preventing me from having time to create new content for this blog, and that the space provided did not allow me to give as detailed and informative answers as I wished to.

As a solution to this I am still accepting ‘Ask the Princess’ questions, however I will be responding to one a week on the blog with a more in depth answer. I hope this will work better for all of us. I look forward to hearing your questions, please use this form to submit!

You may also have noticed the new threaded comments system on each of the posts. This functions similarly to other blogging systems such as Livejournal, allowing you to reply to previous comments as well as posting your own. I’m really excited about this because it makes it much easier for me to respond to your comments and hopefully it may generate more discussion between fellow Princesses!

There will be some more little changes popping up soon, so keep an eye out!

Two years ago I saw my first Imperial Ice Stars performance, Swan Lake, and left the theatre speechless after witnessing the most incredible work of choreography I had ever seen, performed on a stage of solid ice by talented athletes and performers, some of whom were skating on stilts!

Tonight I was lucky enough to go back to the Burswood Theatre and see their newest production, Cinderella. Lee and I booked tickets to the performance months ago, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting it ever since. We arrived at the theatre a little early and so decided to sit down and enjoy some tea and delicious cream puffs and chat for a while before the show started.

When it was time we found our seats and waited for the show to begin. It opened interestingly to scenes from Cinderella’s childhood and her mother’s passing. From here the screens rose to a town scene, where most of the performances took place. The adaption was very creative and unique, with art deco sets, victorian inspired costumes, a brief tribute to Swan Lake (which felt a little out of place but was enjoyable none the less) and a few changes to the plot. The ‘Prince’ was the son of the town Mayor and the ‘Fairy Godmother’ was a fortune teller from a band of colourful Gypsies. It seemed that Cinderella’s Father did not die at the beginning, but became an important character in the story. The whole performance kept you interested and guessing about what would otherwise be a very well known fairy tale.

The most talented performers in my opinion were Cinderella’s Father, who had a lot of character and very strong arms to carry the weight of both stepsisters! And outshining even Cinderella was the Stepmother, who had an amazing stage presence and dramatic presentation as well as an eye catching costume. All the performers were skilled though, and there were some interesting routines involving climbing strips of fabric, irish dancing on skates and some beautiful wirework that sent the dancers floating through the air.

The entire show was simply breathtaking. Lee and I were enthralled from start to finish (minus the interval where we had to make a mad dash to beat the restroom que!) and we left the theatre gushing over the incredible feats and beautiful music and costumes. If you have yet to see an Imperial Ice Stars production I highly reccomend it, its ballet and figure skating and acrobatics all set to haunting music and gorgeous set and costume design. I can’t wait to see them again!

Joan of Arc, photo by pwbaker

I apologise for getting a little bit behind with the Princess Challenges. In case you’re wondering, there was no challenge for September as I was absent for several weeks. This month’s challenge is a bit late, but I hope you will participate all the same, its a very challenging one after all!

October 2008 Princess Challenge
(if this is your first challenge, please read the original post here)

In theme with this week’s Princess Lesson, our challenge this month is one that requires Courage. I want you to think hard about something you’re afraid of. It might be a phobia, heights, spiders, snakes, darkness or a more personal fear such as public speaking, confronting your parents about something, performing on stage or even wearing alternative fashion out of the house! Whatever you choose, you’ll have to confront and conquer this fear in some way. You can write about your experience in a journal entry or share photos of you facing your fear!

I would also like to let you know about a Livejournal Community that has been created. I know a lot of you use livejournal to record your princess challenges, so Korin thoughtfully created a community to share your posts on. You can join up over here. Please still send in your results at the end of the month though so we can share them on the challenge page. Good luck!

photo by daniel martini

Courage and bravery are not virtues that everyone naturally associates with Princesses. They are expected to be saved by some dashing Prince or Knight not to face fear themselves, right? Actually, being a Princess takes an awful lot of guts.

Being a Princess means having the courage to be true to yourself, to stand up for what you believe in, to protect others, to lead by example and to always show the world your best, no matter how difficult things get. Sometimes courage isn’t facing down wild beasts, but speaking to a room full of strangers. We may not be slaying dragons, but it can take just as much strength to stand up for who you are and what you believe in when others are judging you.

Courage is not being fearless, it is feeling afraid and facing the things you fear head on, doing them anyway. Sometimes our courage is tested by events in our life, and sometimes we must actively seek out those things we fear, rather than avoiding them, because that is how we grow and learn, faster than anything else.

I know in my life, if there is something I’m really afraid of, it will catch up with me eventually. If I try to run away from it, I’m not really living, I don’t grow, I only step backwards. The moment I turn and face it, thats when I’m really alive. They say things are never as bad as you fear, and I don’t necessarily believe that. Sometimes they’re exactly as bad as you fear, or worse, but they’re never the end of the world. Once you conquer your fear, and are able to let go of it, you realise just how strong you are.

So how do you get to that point? How do you find the courage within yourself to do what you feel you can not do? A large part of it is self confidence, being happy with who you are and knowing that whatever happens, you’re still an amazing, beautiful person. Thats not always an easy thing to achieve though, so here are a few ideas to ponder.

• You’re not alone No matter how stong we seem, all of us have fears and weaknesses. Every person you meet, even if they’re confident and wise and experienced in life will still have grey areas that they have not dealt with yet. Some of these are linked to experiences we’ve had in the past, others are unexplained phobias. Being afraid is not a bad thing, it actually shows you have room and potential to grow and people who have many fears, often have the most compassion and care. They’re timid because they care so much about what happens and the effect their actions have on others. Remember that you’re not the only one who feels fear, and if others can find courage to overcome theirs, so can you!

• The darker it is the brighter you shine. The purpose of fear is to test us. When you find something in your life that you’re scared to face, whether its moving to an unfamiliar city, learning to drive, public speaking or standing up for your decisions in the face of criticism, that fear shows just how important the situation is to you and that this is a challenge where you have the chance to pull all that brightness and beauty inside of you together and really shine. When things are at their worst, thats when our spirit really shows through, those are the moments that define who we are.

• Take little steps. Overcoming your fears is not an easy process for anyone, if it was then it wouldn’t be worthwhile. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith, but at other times it is something we can achieve bit by bit, taking little steps to tackle something bigger. You don’t always have to jump in with both feet. Courage is often strongest when its built up over a long period of time, its hard to shake that kind of confidence.

• Acknowledge your growth Think about things you’ve done in the past, things you’ve been afraid of but went through with after all. How did you feel after you’d achieved them? Relieved? Exhilerated? Powerful? If you think about it, you can probably see what you learned from those experiences and put that knowledge to use in the future. You are probably a lot braver than you realise.

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt

In the heart of this city, right on the edge of the central business district is a vacant block. For most of the year its just sand and weeds, nothing special and barely noticed by the hundreds of cars that drive by it each day. However, for just a couple of weeks in early spring it is transformed in to a sea of pink and white flowers, everlastings, with tall green stems and petals dry as paper. Noone who drives past can help but gaze at this unusual sight, and some stop to pick flowers, or walk through the field. It is a brief but beautiful change and I go there every year to pick a bunch for the Queen’s Birthday.

This year, Sab and I went for a little photoshoot. It was quite early in the morning and we were the only ones there, although several cars stopped to watch and were consequently honked when they missed the lights. You can read more about the photoshoot over at Sab’s blog. I had a lot of fun doing this shoot, having my hair french braided and making a flower wreath. I’m really happy with how the photos came out! Sab managed to give them a light, airy, nostalgic feel that fits perfectly with my vintage dress.

This Tuesday (the 7th) was my birthday! Unfortunately I had to work, but I had a lovely day regardless. My work colleagues were very sweet and wished me ‘Happy Birthday!’ when I arrived, they gave me a HUGE bouquet of lillies and a yummy chocolate cake! I got to meet Emily, Jeff and Christine for lunch in Central Park and we all had a slice of cake and enjoyed the beautiful sunny weather. I spent the evening with Mirai, we ordered take away and watched an interesting movie called Dark City. It was a relaxing and fairly casual birthday for me, but I got to celebrate with everyone at my party on Sunday so I didn’t mind.

I actually asked people not to buy me gifts this year, as I am trying to cut back on the amount of material possessions I have. However I did recieve a few lovely things. I was really happy to get some ballet themed gifts, as I’m really enjoying my classes and getting involved in dance. The music box from Candy plays a tune when you open it, and this beautiful drawing is by Chisa, isn’t she talented? I also got Princess Tutu manga from Zing and some lovely jewelry from my dear friend Donican in Japan.

This treasure is from Lee and Paula. We went to the Kalamunda village markets a few weeks ago and I saw this porcelain rose set at a jewelry stand, I fell instantly in love with it, but didn’t purchase it at the time. The girls snuck back to buy it when I wasn’t looking and surprised me with it at my party! I was speechless, and I can’t wait to wear these soon!

I feel quite spoilt this year with so many beautiful things, and I was also very happy to get a phone call from the Queen who is living in the United States now! It was lovely to hear her voice.

Sunday the 5th was Mirai and my Birthday Party! My friend Mirai’s birthday is just the day after mine (the 7th and 8th of October) so we decided to celebrate together this year and have a fun party in the park. Our theme was ‘Big Kids in Denial’ basically we wanted to relive some of our childhood memories and enjoy acting like kids at heart with our friends.

The party was held at a lovely little park near us. The original park we had intended to host it at was taken over by the local council for a festival on the day, so we had to have a last minute change of location! However it worked out well and we found a quiet little park down the road with a playground and trees, barbeque and tables. It also had a very pretty lake with ducks and swans!

Mirai and I selected a colour scheme of yellow and purple for the party. All the balloons, streamers, cake, plates and serviettes matched and we incorporated the theme in to our outfits! We asked everyone who came to the party to dress as they would have as children. This turned out to be quite amusing, with people wearing capes, overalls, pig tails, pinafores and suspenders! We went as twins, in matching white dresses with purple and yellow sashes and hair ribbons. I had yellow sandals too but they came off as it was easier to run on the grass barefoot.

There was a lot of food, some of our sweet friends brought cookies, cupcakes, donuts and other treats. I made (with a lot of help from the lovely Lee and Paula) chocolate crackles, honey joys, fairy bread, peanut butter and vegemite sandwhiches, frankfurts and a plate of carrot and celery sticks with cheese. These are all traditional childrens party food in Australia so it brought back a lot of memories.

The best part of the day was getting to play some old fashioned party games. We ran around blindfolded for Blind Man’s Bluff, won prizes and made paper hats during Pass the Parcel, did some silly dances for Simon Says, had a few rather competitive rounds of Duck Duck Goose and burst balloons as we tried to carry them between our legs for a balloon relay. Mirai and I discovered that organizing adults to play party games is even harder than organizing children!

The finale of the party was the destruction of a Pinata, whom we affectionately named ‘Alan.’ It took quite a few attempts to bring him down but we were eventually rewarded by a shower of candy and for those who missed out there were ‘lolly bags’ to take home as well.

I had a really wonderful day, the weather was beautiful and just being surrounded by so many smiling faces was the best birthday present I could ask for. I got to talk to some old friends and new ones and just play around and enjoy the light-hearted spirit of the theme. Thank you to all our friends who came and made this a truly special Birthday!

Thank you to Sab, Bert and Chisa for the photos!

Last Saturday I went with some lovely Ladies and Gentlemen to see a performance of Beauty and the Beast at the Regal Theatre. It was a musical adaption of the Disney Movie and featured the same beautiful soundtrack as well as some original songs. I believe the actors were all local talents, and they were definitely well cast! The roles of Belle, the Beast and Gaston were particularly impressive, as was the voice of Madame De Le Grand Bouche.

The first thing that caught my attention was the beautifully made and designed sets, all of which were moved quickly and easily to form different scenes from the movie. From Belle’s village and cottage to Beast’s castle and the dark forest. The costumes were also stunning, very detailed and creative. Cogsworth and Lumiere were gorgeous, and Lumiere’s candlesticks lit up with real flames while Cogsworth had a pendulum that swung back and forward as he walked.

The musical score was very well used, including the original background music from the film (which I love.) All the performers had excellent voices and the actress who played Belle sounded so close to the voice actor in the film! I especially loved the musical routine for ‘Be Our Guest’ though I was a little dissapointed that they cut out the snow scene in the movie where Belle and The Beast are feeding the birds, as thats one of my favourite parts.

It was a magical experience and very true to the film, which is my favourite of the Disney Princess movies. I highly reccomend going to see the musical if it comes to your area, it’s quite a treat!

The film I am going to reccommend today is one I think you may either adore as much as I did, or not enjoy at all. Angel is the first english language film by French director François Ozon. It is based on the book by Elizabeth Taylor about a young girl in the Edwardian era who goes on to become a popular writer. The movie encompasses almost the entire life of Angel Deverell, her rise and fall and the unusual relationships she has along the way. All the time it leaves the viewer a little bit outside of Angel’s world, seeing her as the other characters might, rather than as she sees herself, which is an intriguing contrast in itself.
I have not read the book yet, but I would definitely like to get a copy to compare the two.

What is very interesting about this film, and you will either love or hate, is Angel’s character. She is fiercely defiant, arrogant, demanding, romantic, imaginative, gifted and entirely in love with herself and the little world she has created. Romola Garai’s performance was enchanting, and her peculiar beauty suited the character perfectly. I found Angel fascinating, because unlike other romantic, highly imaginative heroines (Anne Shirley, Sara Crewe etc.) she is not exactly easy to like or sympathise with.

The story takes you from Angel’s humble beginnings as the daughter of a grocery store owner, to her efforts to become published, her wild success and her romance with a debauched painter and close friendship with his sister. Towards the end of the film the war begins and we see how this brings change to Angel’s very doorstep, even though she tries to hide from it.

Visually the film is stunning. The costumes, especially Angel’s dresses, are opulent to the point of being a little bit tacky (but this is in keeping with her character) and her estate, Paradise House, is almost a palace in itself. For lovers of period costume and extravagant decor its definitely eye candy.

This movie actually won me over as it progressed, for a story about such an eccentric person it felt very real. There were no great moral lessons to be learned, and none of the characters really got what they ‘deserved.’ Nonetheless it is the tale of a dreamer who managed to make her dreams reality, and seemed to live her whole life inside these dreams, even when the world doesn’t co-operate, and I think thats what makes this film so uniquely beautiful.

Today Mirai and I drove up in to the beautiful Perth Hills to a place called Araluen, a garden tucked away in a little valley, full of flowers, fountains, lakes and gazebos. In spring they have a fabulous show of tulips. It has many special memories for me, not the least of which is my Midsummer Night’s Dream themed party which was held there last year.

The purpose of our journey today, however, was to celebrate our friend Jeff’s birthday. Jeff and his girlfriend Emily hosted a fun barbeque and it was great to catch up with everyone and enjoy the scenery too. The gardens were very busy despite the cold weather, which was wonderful to see because there are fears that is will be shut down soon due to lack of funding. If you live in Perth you might like to consider a visit and donation!

I wore my vintage toile dress with the little pink rosebuds on it and my satin slippers. Mirai snapped these photos when we went for a short walk. There were so many snowbells and tulips and a gorgeous cherry blossom tree which I was enchanted by.

Happy Birthday to Jeff! I hope you like the cape and thanks for hosting a fun day and giving us all a chance to visit this beautiful spot!