A Christmas Fit for a Princess

I finished work on Friday, 19 December, and I don't go back to work until Monday, 19 January, because this is summer/Christmas break. So... a whole month of holiday, and I decided it was time for some fun.

My friend Kirsten is house-sitting this amazing mansion on Durie Hill, which is the biggest hill in Whanganui, overlooking the whole city. We decided that I should go and stay with her when I got done with work, and we could be princesses in the mansion. Sounds like a good way to relax after a wonderful but exhausting December of Kindergarten Christmas events.

This is a painting of Durie Hill, including the two towers, and directly to the right of the red one, the boxy house that appears to be (because it is) all windows... that's the mansion! The painting is by Sarah Platt, who is an internationally respected NZ artist. 

Now there are two amazing things about this; 1) that this beautiful painting includes our mansion, and 2) that the original of this painting famous painting is actually hanging in the entryway of said mansion!

When you walk into the mansion, you see this lovely, huge lounge with very comfy couches and chairs, but your eye is drawn right past them to the entire wall of windows and the most amazing view!

This is the view from the patio.

Looking a little to the right, for a better view of the Whanganui River, which J misses so much!

And looking to the left, you can see the ocean! (Pictures always seem to decrease the impression of the sea on the horizon, but I promise that in person you can definitely appreciate the ocean).

Upstairs, in the spacious third bedroom where I stayed, the windows and the view are equally impressive! 

This is my view out my bedroom windows at night! If I hadn't been so exhausted from busy days of princessing, I would have had a hard time ever closing my eyes!

So, it was in this magical setting that I passed the first four days of my holiday, and it was a wonderful time!

The first night, Kirsten and I put on pretty princess dresses and assembled and decorated the Christmas tree.

Naturally, I broke off several branches in the process, but I also managed to figure out the strange way that they were held on, and to repair them. Yay for princess skills!

Princess Kirsten fixing the top of the tree.

Princess Emma was in charge of lights.

A lovely princess by her lovely tree.

Princess Emma practicing her curtsey (or possibly asking the tree to dance).

Fluffy the mansion cat approved of our decision to make a tree skirt out of tinsel, and because we are very gracious and kind princesses, we let him relax on it.

This was the view of the sunset from my balcony on my first night as a princess in the mansion. Who could ask for more?