Princesses forever!

OMG I had the best weekend! I got loads of great pictures and have been dying to get to a computer to blog and tell you all about it! Can I set the scene first though? Do you remember this post?

On Monday Shelley, Mish and I were at Darling Harbour, and we went to the Chinese Friendship Gardens - which I've been dying to go to for ages. They are beautiful sculptured, maincured gardens, with a stunning waterfall, and a tranquil lake with giant koi, rogue turtles, funny temple-like buildings and beautiful plants everywhere.

And they made me be a Ming princess.

No, really. It was so cool!There's a part where you can get dressed up in costumes like Chinese royalty would have worn, and you can use your own camera to take pictures of yourself around the gardens. You need to pay to ake the pictures, and sadly, being a few days before pay day I did not have the cashola to get the pictures done. And I explained this to the man as he asked if I'd like to be dressed up. I explained it to him again as he tied a long white skirt around my waist. I tried mumbling it again as he put a beautiful blue kimono on and gave me a fan to hold. I completely shut up as he placed on my head the most ornate and spectacular head dress you have ever seen!

It had blue birds and dragons and huge pearls on sticks! It had tassels that came down past my waist! It had sparkles and diamantes and good gracious it was just the most amazing thing I've ever worn ever. I kind of floated over to the mirror and remained in a daze for some time! Princess! A Ming Princess! Like a beautiful dream come true. I smiled benificently at myself in the mirror.

The time came to take off the head dress, but I must confess that I've been mentally wearing it around ever since :-)

So (can you guess where this is going?!) on Saturday I met up with my beautiful girlfriend Jacx who is visiting from London, and where was there to go but to the Chinese Friendship Gardens to dress up like princesses! It was so surreal, but entirely beautiful!

We were dressed up (by a funny bossy man who I had to get a picture with also!) in the most beautiful finery, the headdress was even more beautiful than I remembered! I stood my ground this time and got to wear a pink robe (he tried to make me wear the blue one again!) and Jacx had a beautiful red one one. Her head dress was specifically for girls with dark hair (he told us) and looked great on her too.

Princess Jacx, Princess Amy and the funny bossy man

So we got to walk around the gardens (and they are beautiful gardens!) and take photos wherever we wanted. It was so divine. What is it about dressing up that brings sunshine into my soul?

I had actually had a pretty rough week last week, but running madly around this magical garden with my great friend, being silly and laughing and taking photos in beautiful costumes totally restored my heart.

Jacx is only in town for a few days more, my beautiful friend Jacx! It really did my heart good to see her. I know I've said it before, but it is such a blessing when you have friendships that are so strong that even when you don't see someone for a year you can still pick right up where you left off.

Amy-Lou Freebush and Jacxterama!