another weekly wrap-up

Another weekly wrap-up post. Hope you don't mind...

The week before this one (and this one too) was filled with sad news, close friends breaking up, not just one set, but a couple. Children involved... very sad. Which had me feeling like my trip to Sydney would be bitter sweet. And it was. But the sweet was great.

I had a really really fun time in Sydney. Just a few action packed days, but filled with all the right stuff, good friends, good food, and some very very good news...

The city was in full Christmas swing, with the David Jones window displays delighting crowds. My Grandfather used to bring my mum to town to see the windows every year when she was a little girl. A very sweet tradition.



While I was there I had a business meeting at the Art Gallery of NSW (that's our State Gallery, currently showing Monet), and the good news that I mentioned earlier is that from the new year they will be stocking a range of my greeting cards in the gift shop. Not just a couple, but a few of every single one in my catalogue. I can't even begin to describe how shocked and excited I was by this. SHOCKED and ELATED! I got some really great feedback and encouragement from them too, so I had alot to celebrate. And as usual, I now have something fun that will be keeping me very busy over the next couple of weeks. Did I mention the "shocked and elated" part?!!!



I went straight from that to my god-daughter's 4th Birthday party. It was very pink, and there was a fairy there. I took way too many photo's of my cute little bean, but she's so lovely it's hard not to. There were some great "kid" moments too... The best being when the Fairy (who's name was Pinky) told them it was time for her to go back home to Fairyville, one of the little girls asked if they could watch her fly away. That had me chuckling since I'd seen the fairy arrive in a hatchback and get changed behind a van parked on the street.



Later that day I met up with a bunch of friends at the Finders Keepers Artist Markets. There was nothing like this in Sydney when I was there, but since leaving just over a year ago, they've been popping up all over the place. It was all I'd dreamed of, and I over-spent, slightly, but you have to support each other, don't you? I circled Kareena (the cute girl with the pink hair in the photo below), eventually plucking up enough courage to say hello, but then far too star-struck to talk any further, despite really wanting too. She was really nice too, and so cute. I spent the rest of the time circling her stall some more, pointing and whispering to my friends, how awesome and famous she is, and how I idolize her... Then when she spotted me taking this photo from a distance, I'm quite sure she thought I was a complete loony. Quite rightly. Oh, well. :)



So I returned from my trip feeling very fulfilled.
_ _ _

Then as you all now know Mr You and I became betrothed, hehehe.

More shock and elation, I can assure you. I want to thank you all for your lovely comments on my previous post. It's been so exciting for me to share the squeals. I spoke to my sister on the phone yesterday, and it was SO SO hard not telling her, but I want to tell her in person, which I'll be able to do in just over a week.

Mr You and I have been so giddy ever since the other night. The night he proposed was our 12 and a half year anniversary together. I had thought that because we've been together so long, that if we ever became engaged I wouldn't really feel too different. But I can tell you, even after all this time together, the proposal still shocked me (perhaps even more so) and felt just as special and exciting as if we'd been a new couple.

I've also never really been a jewel girl. Never owned a precious stone in my life, so when Mr You told me he had all the "carat" information for the white gold and stones written down, my response was "It's got carats!!!??" I don't even know what that means really, but I know it's the real deal. And although now my left hand looks like it belongs to someone else (someone very ladylike and royal), I must confess I think I may be giving myself carpel tunnel from bending my hand back to look at the ring so often. I turn every light switch on with my left hand, and keep doing uncharacteristic things just to gain an extra glance. I've turned into such a girl! :)

One of my favourite things about it (who am I kidding, everything about it is my favourite thing) is the profile, which looks like an art deco building rising from the cityscape of my fingers. Like the Chrysler Building of downtown left hand. Heee.

And while I'm still not yet knowledgeable enough to call myself a jewel girl, there are so many things about it that hold significance... the colour of that stone looking like tropical water; and being given it on the beach. The aquamarine being in the same family as the emerald; and the proposal was on Emerald Beach. The fact that despite me not being a jewel girl, and Mr You having nothing to go on by way of my taste, he chose something more perfect than I ever could have. And much more...

So I almost feel guilty, while others seem to be having such a terrible time at the moment, I just had the best week ever. :D