Monday Moods: I feel... balls-y.

Here in Oxford, we enjoy a lot of balls.

(if you're saying to yourself: "that's what she said..."then we should probably be friends on twitter.)

On Friday, we attended the St. John's Ball to celebrate the end of Trinity term, the final term of England's academic year. The 2011 theme was"This Side of Paradise," and the whole evening left you feeling like you had stepped into a dream.

It was all so very Alice. Finding myself in an English garden between hookah tents & string quartets, as hot air balloons lift around us into the pink and purple sunset was, obviously, surreal.

Would you like to see our night in Wonderland? Jump down the hole (or scroll down the page) to follow the adventure.

A boy.

His girl.

The gates open.

Exotic plumes on tables.

Exotic plumes on hats.

Exotic plumes everywhere.

Bangers to nosh.

Drinks to sip.

Boys in skirts.

Girls with fancy beaded shirts.

Balloons lifting into the air.

Hookah puffs for those who dare.

Ancient walls to guard the night.

This fancy place was quite the site.

Sigh. It truly was the perfect night.

*image 10 & 11 by Stephanie Poage

** all other images are original to Aspiring Kennedy