Pandora bracelet

Yesterday a genuine miracle occurred. I found my Pandora bracelet!

It has been missing for months. I was frantic and devastated. Oh - the tears I have shed over this piece of jewelry. I have prayed, wished and hoped.

This is no ordinary bracelet. It was the wedding gift I received from my husband.







As a wedding gift the bracelet came with a wedding cake charm and some other beautifully special ones. Over the last two years I have added charms received on special occasions.

Our first Valentine's day as husband and wife, first anniversary, a promotion, good health news, a beautiful snowflake from Boston.

Each and every charm was a cherished memory.

When the bracelet vanished I was devastated. I conjured up all manner of scenarios for its disappearance. Secretly I was terrified that I had lost the bracelet as punishment. I had been ungrateful and had at times resented the heavy, clunky piece of jewelry.

Like all lessons I learned the value of the bracelet the minute it was lost. I mourned the bracelet not as a lost item of jewelry or adornment. I mourned the memories captured in every link.

The return of this bracelet is a gift from Providence. When I tentatively reached my hand into the pocket of a seldom worn jacket a thrill shot through me. As I held the bracelet in my hand I quite literally wept. I called G at work and frightened the life from him with my sobs!

I have learned a lesson about vanity and about gratitude. I feel so desperately blessed to have had this item returned. I look forward to making memories with my husband and adding charms throughout our life together.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Mexican Fiesta

Hubs and I recently ventured a little further afield for our date night. We headed to the Vavoom Festival at Homebush. It was a unique blend of some of our favorite things - 1950s clothing stalls, record stalls, cars and rockabilly bands. It was a blast!

I tried on heaps of clothes. I swung wildly between Betty Draper and Joan Holloway and ultimately purchased nothing :( .

After the festival we were famished! We were in the neighbourhood so we traveled to Parramatta to try a Mexican place we have talked about for ages.

Mexican food is great for vegetarians. So much traditional Mexican food is meat free and full of yummy beans.

We were not disappointed!

We started of with queso. How had my husband never had queso before??





The queso was DELICIOUS. We could have ordered another bowl of the creamy cheesy spicy wonderfulness and gone home happy.

Instead we pressed on, to the delight of our taste buds and the detriment of our pants.






We both had combo meals. Hubs had a chorizo enchilada and beef burrito. He has been raving about the chorizo ever since!





I had a cheese enchilada and bean burrito. Both meals came with frijoles and rice.

The food was so good it made my cheeks tingle!

We were both so full! I ended up bringing half of mine home (and it was just as good the next day).

Our date night was a success and we will definitely go back!

- posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Anniversary Trip - Part 1

At the end of January Hubs and I travelled to Queensland to celebrate our two year wedding anniversary. We stayed on the Gold Coast at Broadbeach. We LOVE Broadbeach. It is so much more beautiful than Surfers Paradise. Surfers is very touristy and trashy. Broadbeach has lovely hotels and resorts but not the plethora of backpacker hostels and cheap dives.

If you are visiting Australia (which I urge you to do!) and you are going to Queensland, choose Broadbeach instead of Surfers. You will not regret it!

We stayed at the luxurious Sofitel. It is a gorgeous hotel. Everything was glamorous and elegant, from the chilled French music piped into all the public spaces to the signature scent that wafted throughout. I want that scent. I will offer a reward to some one who can procure it! The Sofitel has a very European feel and it was very refined and refreshing and not at all touristy. (ie no gift shop with tacky koalas and Aussie merchandise).

The bathroom was this gorgeous dark marble. 

All the products were French and smelled DIVINE.

We stayed in a Deluxe room, but it felt more like a suite! In the entry there was a desk and sitting area, followed by a hallway and the bedroom area.

The view from our room was beyond my wildest imagination. I will dedicate an entire post to the view and the pool! (The two things we enjoyed the most.)

We beach was right at the end of the street we stayed on. It is a typically beautiful, gorgeous Queensland beach. Are there any more beautiful beaches anywhere in the world?

The surf life savers were out in full swing. It fills me with such pride and joy to see these amazing young people, volunteers and professionals, risking their own lives to keep swimmers safe. I would never swim at a beach without life savers, especially with children.


I am going to do a few posts to remember this holiday. Both Hubs and I had A LOT going on prior to the trip, and we both physically and mentally needed the break. It was truly the most relaxing and refreshing trip I have had. We didn't do a lot, except swim, read, eat, visit with friends and relax. It was heavenly!