Diamond Viewing Room

Toca Boca

2013-05-08T21:18:00.001+10:00

The camera roll on my iphone has been overwhelmed with images of these new hair cuts by my four-and-half-year old. Toca Boca has been keeping her entertained and creative with rather clever apps of the hair salon. Colour it, chop it, wash it, blow dry it, shave it all off, and start all over again with magic drips of hair growth solution... complete with all the sounds of the salon and uhhhs and ahhhs from the styled customer... Love it! :)

Beijing Surprise with a 5 year old

2013-05-03T01:48:00.001+10:00

After our recent 10 day trip between three countries with my four-and-a-half year old, I really admire Jeanne Darst for her courage or madness to bring her five-year-old Hudson to Beijing to study Chinese simply because he wanted to learn the language and possibly drawn to the allure of the ancient culture.

With so many friends who have travelled to China, be it Shanghai or Beijing to learn the language, I feel fortunate to be able to speak and read the language and appreciate its beauty. I should only work harder to inspire my own daughter to learn the language and speak it with pride.

Jeanne's interpretation of Hudson's desire to master a very difficult language, is impressive. How remarkable her journey takes her as she recounts their two attempts to the Great Wall of China. Sometimes seizing the moment and going with the flow of instinct and adventure is just so thrilling, we feel alive. Really enjoyed this lively article. Thank you Vogue (May 2013)!

Nobody does it better than Hermes...

2013-05-02T00:55:00.002+10:00

Play badminton much?

Check out the amazing windows display at Hermes Takashimaya Singapore.
I applaud the vishal merchandising team for such creative interpretation in 3D of flowers, rainbow and colour.

Shuttle cocks to create a superb visual impact. Understated elegance! Love it!

Welcome back

2013-04-30T02:36:00.000+10:00

It’s a 56% battery life on my Mac book and the flight path mode says it’s just about 4 more hours to Singapore.

I started this blog in 2007, six years before today, shortly after my own wedding and before myprecious little daughter was born.

It’s great to be able to revive it and continue to ‘pen my thoughts’ now many years later, as a wife, as a mother, a business woman, a traveller…

I have contemplated deleting this blog and starting with a clean slate of new entries. I almost cringe reading my own writing of 6 years ago. But after much thought, those entries represented the ‘me’, 6 years ago, my hopes, my dreams, my chapters and growth through life. It gives me a chapter to reflect and remember those newly wed moments of aspiration and expectation for the life ahead with my partner.

Today I sit on the plane, bound towards a my new home. A black coffee on my tray table and clutching theinternational Herald Tribune, relishing a moment of quiet as my little girl finally snoozes in her dreamland.

Such a precious time to just read the paper undisturbed… the last six years felt so much like a bubble. A bubble of time where I learnt new skills in the jewellery trade that I fell completely into by accident, where I learnt what it meant to be a team with my husband, in a country that is not mine, yet welcomed me like their own. Learnt to be a mother to a child that is God sent to teach me the finer things of life that I never knew or thought I needed to know.

It has been such a beautiful trip filled with beautiful people that made my time in Australia so special. I had brought my four and a half year old to attend a wedding of amost special friend. She looked just radiant yesterday and tears filled my eyeswhen she and her amazing now-husband, said their vows at the altar. It was truly a highlight of this week of aeroplanes and airports, and warm familiar faces and smiles.

Sintia is a friend who loves with her heart despite her many heartaches... We all carry our crosses…be it family, friends, acquaintances… Life’s journey beckons and twists and turns to mould us, to weave peopleinto and out of our lives. God heals and time takes away our hurts. He had reserved Kieran for her and their union is truly a match made in heaven.

I wish them a magicaland blessed life together, hand in hand… growing old together… having beautifulchildren and creating more special memories. Most of all we thank you for being our friends… cheers to friendship!

How to choose an engagement ring (PART 1) - for women

2007-09-28T10:21:00.000+10:00

With several years of experience helping men and ladies do just that,
I figured it might be a good place to start with some tips.

I'll start with the women since this is a strongly female driven industry.
It's good for guys to read too, IF you want a 'yes, I will marry you' ,
tears of joy rolling down her cheeks reaction, or simply help knock
some practicality into her with gentle reminders when you are choosing a ring together.

A. FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT RING LOOKS GOOD ON YOU.

Ok there's a few layers to this one.
LAYER 1.
what type of engagement ring looks good on you TO YOU ...
LAYER 2.
what type of engagement ring looks on you TO (SOMEONE ELSE)
like your fiance, your mom, your sisters, your friends... list goes on.

Who are you trying to impress?
I'd say it's key who you take engagement ring shopping with.
Don't forget its YOU who will be wearing the ring for a long long time on your hand.
So I'd suggest it's the YOU in about 10 to 20 years (assuming marriage takes you to that
far happily ever after or far unending road full of challenges place) that you should
IMPRESS.

ok in today's times 10 to 20 yrs sound more daunting a commitment than ever,
who wants think about that when you have a dream wedding on the way to plan?
so how about 3/ 5 yrs... will the ring date.. and look so... year 2007? :)

So YEs today's tip is:

- BE OPEN MINDED TO SUGGESTIONS AND
- TRY ON AS MANY ENGAGEMENT RING/ RING DESIGNS as possible.

trying on means looking in the mirror with the ring on.
preferable in a full length mirror so you have an idea of scale on your hand,
and understand that the bling is actually there. If you have a small mirror
and only see your hand in it, the understanding is different (everything looks
a tad smaller/ bigger )

trying on also means moving your hand about to see how it sits,
if you wish to wear it everyday, unfortunately the ring will roll
about and spin on your finger (no matter how snug it fits).

if the ring doesnt fit you, then try to put it on a finger that it fits.
see if it is in PROPORTION to your hand, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE
wearing the ring.

CLOSE your hands creating a fist and see if the ring cuts into your hand
and does it feel good. So you may think an engagement ring design with
diamonds going all the way around the finger and all around the centre
diamond looks great. But is it practical for everyday wear.

Lets start with this much today. Tune in tomorrow for more
How to choose an engagement ring (Part 2) where i'll start to touch on DESIGN!

in memory of baby

2007-07-28T10:40:00.000+10:00

he came in on a beautiful Friday afternoon
neatly groomed young man with a kind smile on his face
looked around for a few minutes
and asked to see the pair of ruby earrings on display

they were over two thousand dollars that gorgeous pair
of drop diamond and ruby earrings
they are lovely he said
unfortunately my budget is only a thousand

it's for my wife as a gift for our first baby.
wow! congratulations to being a father!
he smiled and looked away...
well I just wanted to get something special for my
wonderful wife.
we.. ermm... actually lost the baby at birth...

the sadness as he spoke the last words was deeply
(Almost shockingly) heart breaking
I just want to give her present as a gift for everything
she has gone through...

I'm sure I will find something special...
and yes we did our best for him..

wall paper

2007-07-19T23:28:00.000+10:00

have a mad desire to do up a feature wall in the living
so dying for a beautiful wall paper

o my inspiration above...
im thinking warm metallic shades of gold
with calm neutral shades of a chocolate
layered with of silhouettes of a forest
giving a mystical touch to offset
my rich antique red 3 seater,
or some floral patterns like below...

Leaning strongly towards these 3 designs after scouring the web for suppliers
and wallpaper patterns...
bottom one might best work with the leather seater color.
But absolutely love the bamboo on the left.
one of my fellow designers at work ordered some samples in
and they've got this lovely metallic sheen that is simply to die for..

I think add high polished floor lamp (still hunting for an affordable one that will gain geek husband's approval) as an up light in the corner...

position side table which was scored at the local camberwell sunday market... and a matching leather ottoman...

add plants to give the 3 dimensional feel... and viola...

so u who r reading this, which wallpaper do you like??:)

They

2007-07-19T22:21:00.000+10:00

they

look like soul mates.

5 children they share between them.
I grew apart with my ex-wife he said.
his daughters will have to accept that dad's moved on.
he found her... she who seems so perfect and so in tuned with him.
she has moved on too.. and so too must her children

their children's age is about my own.
I wonder how I would feel in their shoes.
they are getting married next year.
how would the 2 families change?
seems like a norm nowadays.
one of the many couples I meet every other week,
getting married for the second time.
4 adults sharing each other's children.
are we children any more? or is it time we grew up.
does growing up mean we understand our parents must
move on too?
that they too are looking for not just love,
but for happiness.
they've strove to give their children happiness all their lives.
are we selfish as children to want things to stay the same
when everything's changed?

their children think they are moving too quick.
but at our age, it is not happening too fast at all, she says.
we know...

And happiness they seemed to have found,
for I felt in their presence an immense beyond words emotion
that they for one... of the many many couples I meet...

amazingly...

look like soul mates...:)

The Chosen One

2007-07-19T22:16:00.000+10:00

Here's my favourite one!

CLICK AND PLAY! :)

How 'bout that for my 1st wedding anniversary gift? :)

2007-07-14T11:46:00.000+10:00

A la Vieille Russie 15k yellow gold necklace with a bounty of stones from diamonds and

rubies to aquamarines, and 14k yellow gold, opal, diamond and garnet brooch,

prices available on request,

both a A la Vieille Russie, New York, call 212.752.1727

Amazing Animation

2007-07-03T14:20:00.000+10:00

CLICK & PLAY!

THIS is REALLY cool!
see Animator vs. Animation by *alanbecker

wonder how he looks like... and whether he's a true blue geek.
maybe my husband can be friends with him (but geek husband
lacks this animation area of talent hahha!)

Artist's Comments
An animator faces his own animation in deadly combat. The battlefield? The Flash interface itself.A stick figure is created by an animator with the intent to torture. The stick figure drawn by the animator will be using everything he can find - the brush tool, the eraser tool - to get back at his tormentor. It's resourcefulness versus power. Who will win? You can find out yourself.-- This took three long months.. i think it's worth it.

Apple presents the iRack

2007-07-02T17:23:00.001+10:00

O ... how my geek husband would love this!!!

(NOT)

hahha... finally a video to MOCK apple (as opposed to their many many very creative ads against microsoft :)

made a snow flake today!

2007-06-19T15:48:00.000+10:00

In the Spirit of WINTER...

i've just created my own SNOW FLAKE:)
just another avenue to release creative juices...

make one and show me!! hehhee

$1.5m to spare? anyone?

2007-06-18T01:39:00.000+10:00

o my o my
dreams o dreams
wide open spaces in the heart of melbourne city
(if only, then i can just walk - or stride - to work...
and finally keep my promise that i'll never be late... - again)

this place is actually on sale
just look at that floor plan!
curved stairwell, curves in a box...
curved walls, curved windows.. yum...

"Architecturally inspired Penthouse apartment boasting three levels of living and entertaining with definitive zones for each.

Occupying three full floors of a classic period landmark building in the very heart of the most desirable and vibrant precinct of the CBD, this massive space is dedicated to the entertainer and family oriented.

Elevated ceiling heights throughout create a sense of voluminous space which is further enhanced by the extensive use of glass and gracious arched windows."

a blank canvas crying out to be beautified and bejeweled!
find the curvy windows VERY SEXY!
like a 60s version of a bay window
the open spaces waiting to be embellished
o so very inviting!
the kinda house that makes me want to go
furniture and homeware shopping...
fill it with antiques and treasures collected around the world...
bathroom can be improved but will suffice
place comes equipped with a FIREPLACE...
operational as well!!...

but i think it's this one that sells it:

The timber decked roof top covering the entire third level provides a panoramic vista of Melbourne’s stunning skyline and creates a sun drenched retreat for sunnier days.

There's no photos of that and I'm really quite keen to see it.

anyone up for a pent house inspection with me during lunch break?!? :)
husband... ?? 1.5mil? any...?

(hmm.. maybe the question should first be... "do you like it, darling?"
and the answer to which I already know... :(

met an artist today

2007-06-16T21:55:00.000+10:00

pendant and earrings for my wife as a gift
her birthday tomorrow

when asked about his plans to celebrate her 71st
he said they had just been to the NGV
they are showing the Australian Impressionists at the moment.
My face must have lit up
for he pulled out from his coat pocket 2 tickets

went in with the curator
so we had no use of our tickets
you can have them
he beamed

i love painting. the impressionists are really good
I'd love to see them! thank you! you like art?

yes i love art. I paint.
I'm a painter.

wow... I'm in awe.
your name?
not the amount spent that amazed me
but in awe my emotions to meet
a humble painter
passionate about his work
yes i know your work!
i remember your series of springbrook paintings.

yes you have an excellent memory!
an exhibition of works will be held in a few months
at the Australian Gallery
we'll send you some information
we've got your card :)

over 40 yrs of marriage before my eyes
only smiles lines marked their faces
o such beautiful people
really moved I am...
I'd love to paint again.

top winter looks 2007

2007-06-14T22:55:00.001+10:00

came home after a day of shopping at ikea and freedom
looking for home ideas and solutions to our tiny place
met a very good sales person at freedom
guy gave excellent recommendations on not to buy
the 4 (really good lookin) dining chairs in
the clearance section that were
heavily reduced because we might spend the rest of our
lives trying to find that damn dining table to match its
dark oak color and probably never find it!

moving on!

got home to find the melbourne weekly mag with section featuring

'TOP WINTER LOOKS 2007'

fanned open the cover to reveal a massive 2-page spread of ... 'WOW!'
took 2 seconds to realise the 2 pages connect and depicts a cellar
with a view of a swimming pool.

not bad at all to me.

geek husband enters the room
and I eagerly shared my 2-pg spread

his response...?

a disgusted expression with serious frown :
... 'that is so not nice! only a pervert would design it... invite girls to come and swim and the men will go down to the cellar to drink - while they watch... them swim in their bikini clad bodies...'

are we really that different? do we see the same thing and
think completely differently everytime? hmm... honestly
quite speechless and tad surprised by his analysis of the design.
perhaps coming from my background I'm blinded by design
but geek engineer husband sees something else...

as he left the room, my eye drifted from the photo to the tiny paragraph
beneath, curious as to who the designer was...(maybe a male?)

the designers Canny builders called this;

Stairway to Heaven
"Before we designed and built this Camberwell home, we learned
that the owners loved swimming and appreciated wine.
So we brought the two together to create something totally unique.
They think it's heaven."

from a design perspective, I'd say they have answered their brief.
(bit of 'double-meaning' with the heaven part... hahah)
but then again... i might have sorely overlooked the obvious... (?)

so you who is reading this... what do you see?

home again in melbourne

2007-06-13T16:34:00.000+10:00

Returning to a wintry cold Melbourne,
away into the shoe cabinet my bright yellow esparadilles must stay
and into my stockings and stilettos my
beautifully pedicured bright red toes will have to hide.
“So which black suit today?” I ask my little dog.
Lying motionless in my bed as if to ignore my stupid question,
she changes her mind and sits up and peers at me through the
fluffs of fur concealing her half opened big brown eyes.

Back into the sea of black and browns and greys I wear to
work day after day. Our trip away has only allowed me to
purchase more browns and blacks to add to my wardrobe.
So in other words, I’ve added to the
choice of variety of dark murky colors to my daily attire.
Haha…

Still refusing to succumb to the cold and pull out my boots
from the bottom of the shoe shelf. Partly because I have to get
into my busting full garage and rummage through a lot of
i-don’t-know-to-throw-or-keep-this entities and possessions
to get to them.

More packing to begin. Should I unpack my luggage only to
have to pack them up when we move to our new place again?
O decisions decisions! Should I pull down the wall to the kitchen
Or should we keep it there? Should we take down another wall in
the living room or keep it there? Aaaa..

been blogging throughout my trip really well not blogging exactly.
Just writing journals which I’ve always done.
Personal thoughts, happy thoughts, angry thoughts, sad thoughts.
Blog also at moments when I just hate myself
for traveling with an annoying husband,
at moments when I realize I don’t really hate myself (or him)
haha.. and at moments on the plane
when I wish I can just take a bus ride and
visit my grandma for dinner instead of flying for hours.

Maybe I’ll put some extracts of my journals in here, for memories
And some photos to remind me of this wonderful 3 weeks
(well 1 week and half to be precise, before we went home
and met my domineering mom) and the honeymoon become
more a nightmarish run to meet as many people as possible.
Nevertheless, amongst madness there are so many
beautiful memories…

Memories I want to keep.
In my pocket if I wish.
Take them out and feel at bliss.
Reminders of love cherished.

2007-05-30T11:30:00.000+10:00

5 days later
here again i sit
half hour more to boarding
sleepy heads

missing sylvia and wishing her
a most beautiful bday tmrw!
:)
cant wait to gym out with her again
and have some good fun!

in desperate need to burn off that
bulge sitting above my jeans
thanks to geek husband who thinks
travelling is about going on a food tour

speak of the devil!
he appears next to me and laughs at me
for blogging... out of boredom at this stage

purchased a pack of PHILLIES cigars
says it has chocolate blended flavor
(i love cigars... a secret i doubt my geek one knows
just yet hahha)
tis is an american brand... havent quite figured
why im buying this imported product in
conservative muslim brunei airport
got a strange feeling i overpaid for it
but nevertheless ... cant wait to LIGHT UP!!

well more eating in the following 2 weeks to come
contemplating how many crunches i need to do
per day to balance out that flab...
at least my geek one has finally got the laptop
we've been shopping for days for...
is it REALLY that hard in making a decision?

i consider myself pretty decisive then...
once i konw the product is right i go in and bargain
HARD
but no... geek husband will ask another 30 stores
about the SAME product and its features
while i desperately translate computer geek terms
from cantonese to english... (hello! very limited either way!)

im coming home!!!

The city keeps on going... on

2007-05-25T11:55:00.000+10:00

in brunei airport i sit
ipod in my ear
wild horses beddingfield crooning
husband to the left
coffee bean to the right

blogging in my wait in transit
planning my shopping spree
helmut lang armani westwood lures
oo hong kong... hong kong
net-a-porter on my new tab

whilst i contemplate making a new trip
to the ladies... churning of my insides
gently reminding me of the chillies in
bangkok and singapore...

joe purdy is where i end my blog
he sings of the city...
his drums a beckoning of walking away
how cities come go ... and we keep going on

You've travelled around the world now..
where would you like to live in? which is your
fav country, city?

Jay's beautiful answer rings in my ear,
"It's not about the city,
it could be amazing, beautiful... magnificent even...
but it's the people... the people that make the difference
people you love, you know, friends who will create and
share the memories with you... that...

that's what makes the fav city..."

miss u so much already my friend....

i love free internet!

2007-05-21T13:30:00.000+10:00

8minutes remaining on this free internet access
feeling my ready to burst from excitement!
going on holiday!
flight in about half hour

so glad to be home yesterday
travelling with my geek one
the sweet sweet smell of home is dearly treasured
ate endlessly upon our arrival

double-booked 2people, well 2 couples 2 b exact
who both came to the airport at 630am in the morning
to receive us... o gosh.. me and my poor planning
or my husband's spontaneity rubbing off on me

so we had 2 cars (almost a motorcade) escorting us to
our destination... hheheh
now on our way to meet a dearly missed bridesmaid
at her home country!
she wants krispy kreme but seriously
they will b far from krispy by the time it lands in
her hands hehhe

so excited!! shop till we drop!!

maybe its too late

2007-05-17T11:39:00.000+10:00

seeing happy couples has become quite ordinary
but sometimes 'the unordinary' is a gentle reminder
to appreciate my ordinary day

this was 2 weeks or so ago...
he came in just minutes after we opened
dark hair with hints of grey
late 40s even 50s? my guess?
a little edgy, avoiding eye contact
i observed an expensive shirt sitting beneath
his thick knitted jumper
he was eloquent and had sharp eyes
and an eccentric vibe that strikes me

20grand he wishes to spend
to replace 2 precious rings once on his wife's hand
they were robbed he said shaking his head

didnt want to hear about the 4Cs of diamonds
done it before knows all about
literally brushes me off
i obliged
guy knows EXACTLY what he wants to replace
the large stones in its exact design
easy for me... barely any negotiation in price
the sale was completed under an hour
thought i'll get to know him,
an economist he was when i sought to get to
understand his eccentricity

he left but returned next day when i was away
and spoke to another member of my staff
concerned about the size of the smaller diamonds
to the wedder, the discussion led to the mention
of his wife... and how he felt he had'nt been a good husband
all those years... yes... people confide to strangers more
sometimes... how strange are we... :)

got a letter this morning
addressed to me in my full name and details
busy with my own paper work, and certainly
not expecting any personal mails, i wasnt concerned
my director opened it to read out to me its contents

in it was a letter from him saying his wife has passed
on due to complications in surgery, and his regret
that she will not get to wear the rings we are to make
he was fine to forfeit the deposit if necessary... etc

what hit me was the copy of death certificate he enclosed
and most of all the sadness that overwhelmed me thereafter

multiorgan failure, aortic stenosis and a whole short paragraph
of medical complications...
never quite held a death certificate before of someone i never met

my heart goes out to him...

marriage and life
short and transient
we get busy we forget
we look back
we'll regret

i am reminded of my 'ordinary' today
and i want to share it...
for life is only so long or short as you make it to be
sometimes beyond your control
sometimes too late...

I think he remembers us...

2007-05-11T14:46:00.000+10:00

7pm
the city abuzz with life
rushing about at the end of the day
students and commuters on their way
or maybe the movies
where to for dinner?

“It’s open! It’s open!”
I took a peek into the little Chinese take away.
China Express or Chi-but as our friends fondly named
7 years its been there now, maybe longer…

“ You wanna eat there? You sure?”

I nodded excitedly.
O the thought of crunching into the honey chicken
and perspiring from the chilli burning the tips of my tongue
lures me as I drag my geek one into the shop.

The familiar face of the uncle pops from behind the
hot bar… he smiles…a friendly one in my opinion.
A short man, he still had his usual jet black hair and little moustache
a polo shirt over his small frame,
cooking up a storm over his huge frying wok.
Come to think of it, he looks a bit like an asian version of ‘Luigi’
from the Mario brothers…. Heheheh but with a wok not a vacuum cleaner:)

I know a similar thought is running through both our minds
At that point, ‘…. Does he recognize us?’
Haven’t been in there for… cant remember the last time we ate there…
Working in the city actually repels us from dining in the city it seems.

Memories of this little take away come flooding
With our first friends we knew in Melbourne we would come
Between classes for lunch
Fried rice small with 2 side dishes…
It was the cheapest and mind you, tasty too!
$4.80 from memory a plate it’ll cost.
My geek one used to go there almost everyday
With his back pack and sloppy sandals
That was before we started going out.
He would even go in alone… he liked his independence
(aka lonliness? Hahaha)

It was funny to learn from him that he was surprised
that one day, the uncle smiled at him when he started to bring a girl
in with him for lunch… (the girl was me… I guess )
almost like a ‘ha!-Not-eating-alone-any-more-geeky-boy?’ smile…
and so I soon learnt it was one of his fav places for lunch of course.
I’d order the small and he the large. I’ll eat half and
He can have my other half.. : )
So in all he was able to down large and a half…

7 years and counting… and to think we ate there after
So long yesterday… this time husband and wife…

We bid him goodbye when we left and
My! Was I surprised! what a big smile he gave us! :)

fragile

2007-05-05T23:36:00.000+10:00

breakable
memories
sand between your feet

water slipping through fingers
memories
scents, sounds, triggers

time
memories
secrets into the wind, unwind

i saw love today

2007-05-03T22:34:00.000+10:00

a year ago it was i remember.
he came in half an hour before we were to close.
big tall bloke, with his strong aussie accent
dark hair with a earring on his lobe.

"getting married? ..." i asked.
He smiled almost sheepishly and gave me some details...
a beautiful stone, thats for my girl...

back and forth we went
getting the perfect stone, the perfect ring for him...
"... nervous as hell... " he said
the day he came to pick up the beautiful piece....

he tells me his plans, driving up to lakes entrance
and by the lake, he will pop the question.
he will spring the surprise that will bring on a flood of tears.
he shares with me a picture in his wallet
him and his beloved...

it was wonderful to see a big tall guy melt in love
and gush about it... interesting indeed...
makes me smile!

we see heaps of people everyday. but not everyone speaks so passionately.

we had problems with that first ring. didnt get it right the first time
cos we rushed it so he could still work around his plans...
so we remade a new one again and he was really pleased.
always patient always kind. and unbelievably understanding.

then months later the wedding bands, the wedding plans...
i got to finally meet his beloved and she was just perfect for him!
she was gorgeous,
even better than the photos he shared!

we made his wedding ring and it was not good enough
we made it again.
we made her wedding ring.
guess what?
not good enough.... (by this time he has become quite a familiar face
and name from floor staff to production - we rarely get things this wrong)
this even gave birth to the theory that some rings are 'cursed' its like if something
goes wrong once... it seems to trigger a whole line of stupid mistakes / miscommunication etc
that becomes associated with that ring/ rings...

bizarre but more than anything that confuses me is that 'bad' or 'unfortunate' things seem to happen to the nicest people... who will say... (with a smile!)
"... I understand.. things go wrong... we can wait... " really always amazes me...

today, it has come to a close.. the wedding's this saturday.
the rings all fit perfectly... polished to perfection...
his house is finished... he exclaimed proudly...
"...bought the land and built it from scratch...!"
a hundred expected at his family home from 8 in the morning
... don't drink too much... i beckoned...
he promises he wont for he needs a level head for the rest of the day!

shared with me interesting stories... how he values his macedonian traditions in weddings...
things in our modern day we dont do much anymore...
i sadly agreed and it was soon time for him to leave...

He bid me goodbye and we shook hands...
He leaned over and gave me a cheek to cheek, the aussie way
Thanked me and all of us at work for everything our team had done...
and i was pleasantly surprised and touched...

Surprised because I don't do the kiss alot,
even more rare with customers
(increases my kiss count now to 4 !
the first 3 were by 1 xold lady and 3 x ecstatic brides-to-be
overwhelmed by a diamond ring on their hand)

but more than anything, i was touched...
touched to feel his sincerity and good heart...
and to know I "saw" love...

Wishing him all the best for his new beginning,
I know he will soon embark a journey,
a journey that I trust he will walk bravely with love...

passion

2007-05-02T00:38:00.000+10:00

passion.
the all consuming emotion that sweeps us -
off our feet, off our 'level-headedness', off our minds...

we forget the important
the necessity, the kinship, sometimes even the original 'passion'
that burned, deeply within...

all of a sudden... what someone else has, seems so bright, so desirable.

i see it everyday... ask me how many people come into the store
and want those big pear shaped diamond earrings oprah wore on her show...

"... I want what she has. i want what he has.
and to get that i ... dont care (or choose to forget) what I already got..."

Jan seemed to like our wedding photos,
(and flowers and beautiful bridal party, and our hair... and and and...)
that it's starting to seem that a strong motivation behind her vow renewal
may be me? *gasp!* alas! when did i become a target of 'wants'?
(i thought im the one with the 'wants' myself... ? really? hahah)

had a client who was presented a gift from her in-laws to be
2.00ct stone of reasonable quality, loose so she could choose the design
and have a ring created in her choice...

she hates it.

wants bigger. wants better. everyday everyday. everyone wants bigger. wants better.
when is enough? bigger than whose? bigger than what? 5 years later will you really care?
where is the love 5 yrs later, when love seems to play only such a small role now...

i'd be lucky to catch a glimpse of love everyday.
sometimes i get lucky. sometimes i dont...