I’m amazed how well this wreath turned out using recycled Christmas decorations, a curtain scrap and ribbons I had on hand. The roses mixed with tulle and lace rosettes lift this wreath out of the ordinary. It’s one of a kind which is the best thing about crafting your own home decor. I was inspired by a wreath made by Olivia from Olivia's Romantic Home to create this romantic themed wreath. Hers is so beautiful, but I think I got a little daunted at how fabulous it looked. Could I recreate the effect with the supplies I have on hand. Now it’s finished I love how it came out. I had a couple of dry runs before settling on the method I used. I encourage you to have a play with your supplies and see what you come up with. The wire base is from a Christmas wreath. I removed the garland of greenery and stored that away for next Christmas. Next I lay an old curtain scrap around it. Enough to go about twice around the frame . I found the center and put that at the top of the wreath and then gathered the fabric loosely around the rest. Once I had the placement how I wanted it I tied it on with a ribbon at the top and then wound the ribbon around the wreath down each side catching the curtain at the struts of the wreath and tied it off at the bottom. I looped a Pink glitter Ribbon around the wreath securing it at the struts by folding the wire edged ribbon over the frame at these points. I hot glued the curtain to the inner wire support and also where I’d attached the pink ribbon to secure it. Then came the fun part, adding the embellishments. At the very top of the wreath, I tried on a funky bow that had been used on top of a Christmas lantern. Follow this link to Arlynn's Country Craft Youtube video for how to make one. I hot glued two small roses to the center of the bow. Rosettes from the Christmas tree were placed around and hot glued where the pink ribbon was secured to the frame. YouTube tutorial for how the rosettes are made is on Olivia's Romantic Home. Roses were added, alternating the pink and cream, in between,with hot glue. Scraps of ribbon were looped or tied into bows and glued on to add dimension and whimsy. And here is how it looks above the hall table all decorated for Valentines Day. I have used a scrap of lace curtain as a runner and brought out my romantic trinkets that I've collected over the years. The picture of Sam in a heart frame sat next to my bed before we moved in together, so I could kiss him goodnight.
A very young Dora with my baby girl is in a sweet rose embellished frame. The picture of Sam and I was taken at our engagement dinner. The printer ran out of yellow ink and so we're very rosy hued but I love it, a happy accident. The heart frame has the picture that it came with. It's a lovely image and it was my hope for the future that Sam and I would one day get married, and now we planning our wedding! The centerpiece is the love sign I've had in my office for years. It lives there because I like to have romantic things around me when I'm writing romance. Hearts, flowers and a candle say romance added to that is the pictures that remind me of all things loving. Last year I decorated the hall as a surprise for Sam, this year he watched me do it and enjoyed the process of it coming together. I'm going to keep it up from now on because I enjoy so much coming home to our sanctuary and being greeted with this pretty festival of love. Further reading Published last Saturday on Romancing the Genres, A Detailed Account of Where I Got the Inspiration to Write my Novel by Dora Bramden Check out the Romancing the Genres blog next Thursday for my post on why I chose to celebrate Valentine's day. Dora Bramden writes heart-melting, passionate romance. Sam and I met on the 30th of December five years ago. It’s a day we like to mark on our calendar because we still remember vividly the afternoon coffee date that turned into dinner. It’s fondly remembered as the beginning of something very special in our lives. We have always gone out to celebrate. This year we went to a place situated in the hills of Warrandyte, Victoria. The Pietro Gallo Estate restaurant, Olivigna. My sister had recommended it as a place she wanted us to try because she thought it would appeal to our taste. She wasn’t wrong. The views are amazing as was the Italian food, even reading the menu made me feel as though I was back in Tuscany. It was the perfect place for Sam and I to celebrate our fifth anniversary. My Dad and sister and brother-in-law made it a real party. What struck me most on arrival was the staircase to an alfresco area. Rows of pencil pine trees march down the hillside leading the eye out to gorgeous hills planted with rows of grapevines and olive trees. The view from the alfresco area was spectacular. Inside we were out of the weather but this picture, which I found on their website, shows how much character the restaurant has. Also not shown here is that there are still great views of the countryside. As regular readers of my blog know, I’m a Coeliac so the abundant GF choices was fantastic. I even got to have hot bread, baked on the premises. The seafood and antipasto was delicious. So were the deserts. Everyone was super impressed. As we walked back to the car we stopped for photo’s to mark the occasion. Another year together with my Italian hero was celebrated in a very Italian style. If you live in Melbourne or are visiting and would like to go to Olivigna it’s located at 54-56 Brumbys Rd, Warrandyte South VIC 3134
Further reading A Little Christmas Romance, a blog on how Sam and I met. I was also blogging yesterday at Romancing the Genres with the In Depth Details of How I Got Inspiration for the story The Italian Billionaire’s Secret Baby Check out my books here. I write heart melting, passionate, romance Setting the scene for a romantic dinner is important. The must haves include candlelight, heart shaped decorations and flowers. I have some easy, cheap but big impact DIY's and meal suggestions for making your Valentine's day romantic and memorable. First start with your best lace table cloth then add a statement centerpiece. I DIY'd this one using faux flowers from Kmart. A frame from the Reject shop fitted with a draw liner serves as a tray. Starting with the taller stems I made a fan shape and then filled in the sides with the large rose blooms. I sat the vase in a pink sparkly wreath. I shopped my home for decor pieces that add romantic touches. At the base I added two mirror heart boxes and two love birds. A white rose and a gorgeous sparkle votive holder from Dusk. It was a Christmas gift from a very sweet girlfriend. I placed candle sticks, that I found on FB market place for $20, at each end of the centerpiece. I hung heart bunting on the mirror over the sideboard. I made this from paper heart doilies last year. A single romantic rose adds splash of pink. I'm serving Sam's favorite, gluten free lasagna from the freezer section of my supermarket, topped with Parmesan cheese and garnished with lettuce and tomato. Desert is Connoisseur Ice-cream and fruit drizzled with Kahlua. These basic ingredients save me time and considerable effort. I've resisted the temptation to overthink this meal. I'm keeping it easy to prepare because it's my Valentine's day too. I don't have to impress anyone just ensure we enjoy each others company.
It's not hard to find posts on making a new life in the new year and I certainly am enjoying those, but it can become a little negative when focusing only on what needs changing. So, I want to take a minute to remember to love myself as I am and embrace the enduring goodness that resides in all of us. Happy New Year everyone. I hope you are all looking forward to happy times in 2019. As a blogger and romance writer, I want to serve others through sharing my experiences. It's an act of generosity to share yourself and I plan to continue to do that for as long as I'm able. I'm very proud of the blog posts from 2018 because I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and revealed my life in the spirit of giving. Some of the personal-journey posts that I'm proud of include Three Things I Do To Cheer Myself Up, Remembering Easter and Our Romantic Proposal Story. It's always a little challenging to decide how much to share but honesty and what might help others has been my guide. There's my wedding later in the year and as a mature aged bride, I'll be sharing what that's like. Romance is for anybody at any age but it can have it's challenges. I created a lot last year, writing behind the scenes was taking place slowly but besides that, I made a garden and did a lot of decorating in Sam's and my new home. Some of those posts that came from that include, Backyard Makeover on a Budget, Faux Plants in My Romantic Home and Vintage China Collection. I'm moving from Farmhouse to more of a Shabby Chic style so stay tuned for how I bring that about this year. Cooking was another creative outlet for me, I had some wins with my Gluten Free recipe experimentation and I shared those in blog posts too. GF Scones, GF Choy Suey and an amazing Pancake Parlour style GF Banana and Walnut pancake in the blog called Something Sweet in the Morning. I will be posting a recipe each month in 2019, I'm working on some new ones for summer. I've also been a regular contributor on the Romancing the Genres Blog Site in 2018. As a romance author who enjoys reading I posted a blog this week over at Romancing the Genres on the book I enjoyed reading most in 2018. It was a novel from Anne Gracie called 'Marry in Scandal'. It's an absolutely brilliant book so pop on over to my RTG post and have a read when you finish here. In the spirit of sharing, Anne was so thrilled when she saw my post about her books that she decided to give one of the books I mention in the blog away to one of my readers. All you need to do is leave a comment below saying which one you'd like to win and a winner will be randomly chosen next Thursday. Thank you Anne, for this gift for one of my lucky readers. Don't for get to leave a comment saying which of the above book's you'd like most, for your chance to win it. The winner will be notified by email.
I'll be back next week to sharing more from my romantic lifestyle. It's the boxing day sales and I'm wanting to go and see what I can buy but, this year, I'm not going to. It's hard but I've made a decision and I want to stick to it. What is it about not shopping that is so challenging? There's a lovely little craft site that I've been watching on YouTube. While creating a gorgeous shabby chic tea cup bouquet in a live stream video, Olivia, from Olivia's Romantic Home, chatted with the viewers about all sorts of things. A comment came through which she repeated, 'Sometimes it's hard not to shop.' It woke me from my relaxed, dreamy state and sat me up. I totally feel that way.
Since a little girl I've enjoyed spending money. Dad said that when I was little, if I went into Coles with 20 cents, I always come out without it. I'm adult about money now, and don't bankrupt myself with overspending but I do love to buy the odd sweet little thing. I love to snag a bargain on the internet but Kmart is the place I enjoy shopping at most. Once in the door I head straight to the home decor. At only $5 for a posy of roses or a $3 candle, it's easy to part with the cash. I gaze at the more expensive items that are around $20 and sometimes bring something home. But now, I've stopped all those pick me up purchases because it can add up over time. Wouldn't it be healthier to spend less time in the home Decor section of Kmart? What if I used that time creating something. I could be writing, also I love to craft and I've let that fall by the wayside until recently. I'm getting married late next year, and we have a lot to pay for. I want to save every spare dollar so that I can have a lovely romantic themed wedding with roses on the tables and pretty gifts for our guests. I'm hoping to craft some of the decor for our wedding but supplies cost money too. I've deleted the Wish and Amazon apps from my phone and have curtailed my saunters around Kmart. But not spending was doing my head in. This Christmas I spent a little on decorating but made nearly everything using only what I have. What is it about your own stuff that is so boring? I look at my fabrics and think but it's not the color I really want, or it's dated. But forcing myself to use what I had made me try to make it work and that stretched me creatively. Even though my heart was calling for this season's decorations, I resisted and got out my paints. I turned burgundy Santas and a bright red and green nutcracker into pink ones. Baubles got the pink paint treatment to. An old lace curtain became a table cloth, decorations for the tree, garland for a wreath and a table topper. (Click on the Christmas category in the side bar to find the blog posts on how I did it) I found that not shopping was hard because I wanted that bright new shiny thing for the pick me up it gave me. Nothing is easier or quicker than popping into your favorite shop and buying a little treat to make you happy, but making things gave me a much longer lasting feeling of satisfaction. I still feel a glow as I write about what I made. The boxing day sales are on, and O BOY I really want to go and live it up but I'm resisting. I really don't need anything. I want new dresses, and shoes, and jewelry, and makeup. But what I have isn't worn out and is just as pretty now as when I bought them. So I'm sticking to my plan and leaving all the tantalizing, new things in the shops. I believe buying little presents for myself has been a way of expressing self love which is why I feel happy doing it. I now realize that self love can also be the gift of time to do what you love. For me that it craft, writing, cooking, going for a walk to look at the gardens or looking after my own garden. Shopping in itself isn't a bad thing when you can afford to. Yes, it's hard not to shop when you don't have the money, but either way it's good to think about why that is. What does shopping do for you that could be achieved in a more self affirming way? Creating something sweet for Christmas while not spending money is this year's challenge because I have our wedding next year to save for. All romance heroines know, that not having a lot of money to spend doesn't mean you can't do things. It requires being more resourceful, which is a good skill to cultivate. For me that means an appreciation for whatever resources you have available and making the most of them. One of the lovely things about using what you have is that you can include items that are sentimental to you. I have a broken bead bracelet that Mum gave me which I couldn't throw away, so I used it as a garland on this tree. Many of the buttons were my great aunts and came to me through Mum. If you don't have a craft stash like mine, go to second hand shops. It's much cheaper to shop the craft section of your thrift store and women's or girl's second hand dresses or shirts in pretty fabric with sweet buttons can help bolster your supplies. The Reject Shop or dollar stores sell bling for only a couple of dollars. My button and bling tree is hot glued to fabric but a sheet of scrap booking or other craft weight paper would be lovely also. I used an old framed picture that I had stored in the garage. Again if you don't have an existing one crying out for a makeover, thrift one. I painted my frame white with craft paint and covered the mount and backing picture with fat quarter quilt fabric. I added a layer of thin batting under the fabric but I don't think this is really necessary. The color palette was chosen to go with my Romantic Christmas theme. Romantic for me has a shabby chic feeling. so the colors are soft with pops of pink however it would look wonderful done in traditional red and green or whatever your decorating pallet is this year.
I made an arrangement that I liked without gluing first. I recommend taking a photo of it. I didn't however it still came out okay. I used the big white buttons to create a form work, then I draped the garland down between those. I used three of each brass and green rose buttons arranged in a zig zag shape down the tree. The green ones point left and the brass ones point right. I glued all of that down first. After that I glued the single feature buttons around the tree to draw the eye over the whole picture. Next I filled in with the random smaller buttons and bling. I layered bling onto buttons to add dimension. Some of the blingy bits were self stick and I made the mistake of just adding them without hot glue. One has shifted in the picture above so I recommend a small dab of hot glue on the self stick ones also. I crowned the tree with a vintage gold filigree buckle. Again this was from my great aunts stash. A vintage broach or a sparkly one from a thrift store would be gorgeous also. If you need inspiration, Pinterest has lots of very beautiful examples of these trees. You don't have to make an arrangement the same as mine. This was inspired by the buttons I had. If you don't have more than one of each kind of button you can group similar ones together and use some of my principles to help get you going. But really it's got to be what you like. Everyone's tree is destined to be unique and special because you created it. I've hung mine in the hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. Each time I pass I enjoy seeing it. When the hall door is open, which is most of the time, I can see it from the kitchen and family room too. Even though Christmas is nearly here. Just a couple of sleeps away and it's exciting and wonderful, my heart is calling to love ones who've gone ahead of me to spirit. If you are also experiencing sadness at Christmas, I understand how you feel. I love the memories that this tree helped bring back. They are mine forever. But the greater the love the greater the loss, so at Christmas I have to focus on being grateful for their many gifts over the time I had them for. However, I know it's my turn to carry on and make the most of this festive time of year with the family and friends who bless my life and fill me with gratitude. So dear readers of my weekly blog, thank you for stopping by to see what I've been writing about each week over the last year. It means so much to me and I'm truly grateful for your support. I hope you have a lovely Christmas day planned for yourself and wish you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas. Sending you all a big hug. Merry Christmas Love Dora xoxo Three weeks before Christmas I stop thinking about it and pick up a pen and start making a record of my plans. I work out how many I have coming for lunch this year and put that number at the top of my menu. Now I move forward with listing the menu items. Next to each item, I write who is doing what. Lunch is a community affair so the guests are contributing some of the dishes. Mine looks like this. 13 people Nibbles anti-pasto platter Dora Entree prawns and crayfish My dad and Sam’s sister homemade seafood cocktail sauce Dora Main Course roast turkey with seasoning Dora roast pork with crackling My brother in-law roast potatoes and pumpkin Dora stuffed tomatoes My sister peas and carrots Dora cauliflower cheese My daughter also gravy, apple sauce and cranberry sauce Dora Dessert plum pudding with cream and custard for dessert. Dora With Coffee Cadbury Roses chocolates My son Drinks flavored mineral water, soda water, sparkling white wine, red wine, port, other liqueur Sam and my son tea and Coffee Dora I feel full just reading this list. But it will take us a few hours to get through all the courses. I then make a shopping list of items I need and three weeks before Christmas I start shopping for what I need to provide. I’ll start stocking up on things like tea bags, instant coffee and long life milk. I get my turkey at least two weeks before Christmas to make sure I have the size I want. This year I decided not to make a plum pudding. It was a difficult decision but being a Coeliac I can’t make the one Mum used to. I had a pre-made gluten free one from Safeway last year, which I enjoyed, so I bought two of those and a litre (about 2 pints) of brandy custard too. It’s 10 days before Christmas when I’m writing this blog and it’s time I know what I’m doing with the table setting so I’ve created a sample table-scape that I’m happy with. On Christmas day, I’ll translate it into two trestle tables that will run the other way in the family room so that I can seat thirteen people. I’ll bring the dining chairs in from the formal lounge room and other chairs scattered through the house. I can put eleven together so I still need to source another two chairs. My sister will lend me those. As this year’s theme is Romantic Christmas featuring pink and lace so as a table cloth, I used some pink quilting fabric that was bought to back a quilt which I haven’t gotten round to making. I layered my Mother’s lace tablecloth over it. Down the center of the table, I have a garland that I’ve used in various places throughout the years to which I added lace strips. Fresh batteries for the star lights and it’s done. In the middle of the table is a candelabra for a centerpiece with a little bit of height. Instead of candles, it holds berry picks and a bauble. I found a vintage dinner set this year and decided it would go very well with the pink theme. I’ve put out a dinner plate for the main and a smaller plate for the seafood entree. These will be passed around on platters and people will serve themselves. Wine glasses are a must. Even if some of the guests only have soda water in theirs. I think stem glasses are more elegant and create the party atmosphere I want. Make sure all your cutlery is the same distance from the plate and the table edge. The serviettes need to be thought about as decorative but also easily accessible for functionality. To be added is some bon bon crackers. I need a trip to Kmart for those over the weekend. I'll put one next to each fork on top of the serviette. I still need to buy all the perishable items like pumpkin and cream
Buy the drinks we want. Here’s my schedule for hosting Christmas lunch Three weeks before Christmas Make a list of the guests Plan your menu Two Weeks before Christmas Shop for key ingredients that can sell out Plan your tablescape Last week Defrost the turkey if yours is frozen like mine. Instructions on the packaging will tell you how many days it needs in the fridge section per kilo. Shop for perishables items like vegetables or antipasto Do an on line click and collect from the bottle shop. It will save time and be boxed up ready for you to take home. Christmas Morning Make sure you're up an hour before the turkey needs to go on. Make the seasoning. Stuff the turkey and put in the oven to begin cooking. Peel and chop the potatoes and pumpkin. Put the potatoes in a pot of water until it's time to par boil them and put in the oven to bake. Peel and slice the carrots. Set the table. Make up the antipasto platters. Tips Don’t try and do too much. I’ve called it regarding the plum pudding. I want to do it but can't see how I can personally manage it. Wheat flour is toxic to me, and besides that, I have a limited amount of energy so I have to spend it wisely. Enlist the help of your guests. It’s an inclusive thing to do and allows everyone to feel they have made a contribution that is valued. Don't aim for perfection. Remember that this is about giving a Christmas experience to your guests. The food is a part of that but it’s not a big deal if something gets overcooked or overlooked. We forgot to put the tomatoes out one year and found them in the oven later in the day. Everyone had a great time just being with each other and giving our modest gifts after lunch. This last week I've been working on creating a romantic Christmas theme for the family room and kitchen. I told my girlfriend that I'd done a pink color scheme and she said, 'Oh so you've been out and bought a whole new lot of Christmas decorations.' I told her I didn't. The catch was I mustn't buy anything new. I had to make do with what I already have from previous years and make new decoration from my craft stash. I found a way to do it even though it was quite a time commitment. She's coming over next week to see it in person. This is the corner below the TV. I painted the roses on the remote control box about fifteen years ago, but they still look fresh. I added my favorite Father Christmas. The nutcracker used to have a green coat and black boots but he was given a touch of romance and brought into line with this year's pink palette with folk art paint. I also painted the picture frame I found in the garage and put a piece of lace from an old curtain inside. That lace curtain certainly came in handy. I dug around in my linen press to find some pink pillow covers. I also discovered a pretty rose patterned throw which I put over the back of the couch. I made the wreath using baubles that I painted using folk art paint. I mixed shades of red and burgundy with a pearl white to get varying shades of pink. I made lace ribbon by cutting strips from the before mentioned, the old lace curtain which I also discovered when exploring the linen press. I used hot glue to stick all the ornaments and lace in place. The gold scrolls came from a broken Christmas tree that was made up of them. I broke them all apart and wove them in. I like the lux effect they add. Last year I spent ages hot gluing wooden pegs together to make stars. This year I painted them and made mini lace rosettes from the curtain strips, scrap ribbon and glued faux jewels in the middle. I tied the stars onto a strip of bias binding from my quilting supplies to make a garland for the wall behind the couch. That curtain came in handy when I looked around for a lace cloth for the coffee table. I folded it into a triangle and then halved it and cut it to size making a round piece of fabric, much like cutting paper for the bottom of a round cake pan. Santa in his sleigh was given a makeover too. I used the same paint as for the baubles to lighten his coat and make him a pink Santa. Fiddler Santa was given a pink coat also. I sat him next to framed card from last year and a hunk of pink quartz which is meant to give off love energy. Well, it is romantic Christmas after all. The lace cloth is one of my mother's special handkerchiefs. The kitchen only has a few decorations as there isn't a huge amount of bench space. I added poinsettia picks to the pots of faux sage that sit next to the stove and hung pink check and pink and red striped tea towels over the oven handle. On the window sill above the kettle, I placed a reindeer that I dressed up with a bow and painted bauble. On the other side is a sign with some ribbons, lace and a pink holly pick to make it more romantic. I always have roses next to the sink. For Christmas I used a bunch in shades of pink and added some berries and a Noel sign. I teamed it with a Christmas dome and bowl with a pink candle. The water bottles are mine and Sams. I thought they looked cute standing there so I didn't put them away. The lights over the island bench got some festive attention this year. I added picks that I found at Savers a couple of years ago. I added white paint to give them a frosted look and painted the deep red berries and fruit a lighter shade of blush pink. I'm hosting Sam's and my family for lunch this year. I wonder what they'll think of our romantic pink Christmas theme? The good news is the decorating is done for this part of the house and I haven't spent any money. That's right, zero dollars. I'm feeling proud of that. I only need to think about making a plum pudding and buying a huge turkey.
Next week will be the last in the Romantic Christmas series when I show you the master bedroom, en-suite and my study/guest bedroom. Again, without spending any money so there will be more home made decorations being used. Thanks for dropping by to see what I've been doing to get ready for Christmas. Dora In past years I've enjoyed a traditional red and gold themed tree but this year I'm newly engaged and so a romantic tree fits my mood. I sprayed the tree with a can of white primer that I had on hand. It didn't turn the tree white but created that frosting of snow effect which I'm happy with. The white rosettes are DIY. After watching a YouTube video from Olivia's Romantic Home I made these romantic decorations from old lace and scrim curtains, tulle and blingy bits from my scrap-booking supplies. If you'd like to make them too, here's a link to her YouTube video . I went through my ornaments collection from years past and selected the pinky reds and every shade of pink I could find. I cobbled together some ornaments from broken things but I don't think you'd know it I didn't tell you. I shopped my home for romantic elements to use as tree ornaments. I found stems of pink silk roses that once belonged to my mother, I also found the peony roses from Kmart used in a previous post. From my jewelry box I chose long strands of pearls (which are my go to necklaces) and around the house I selected picture frames with Sam and one of my kids when they were little. In the craft cupboard I found a length of lace which I draped like a streamer down the sides of the tree. Lastly I added an old pink blanket as a tree skirt and put some pink gift boxes on it with a pink Santa and rose gold reindeer. The green box in the middle I painted and decoupaged years ago, to be used as a Christmas card box. I love the romantic Victorian feel this tree, created with timeless elements of roses, lace and pearls. I didn't spend any money to get this look. Well not much, beside the candy canes which need to be fresh, I just used what I had. I have to say it makes me happy to have this girly, pink and ruffly tree where I spend so much time. I can see it whether I'm cooking dinner or relaxing later on with a Netflix Christmas movie.
Next week the Romantic Christmas series will continue with decorating the kitchen and family room. A couple of months ago, Sam asked me out for breakfast. When we'd finished eating he suggested we visit the jewelry shops so I could show him what sort of rings I like. We'd talked about getting married one day, but that morning it suddenly got very real. We strolled along the mall stopping at jewelry shops and trying on some rings. I was happy with all of them. Then we tried on the one. He loved it too and surprised me by purchasing it on lay-buy. When the sales woman asked it we were engaged yet he said a firm no. I walked on air to the car but had to steady my nerves because the waiting had begun. I didn't know when or where the proposal would take place. My inner, insecure bitch whispered, he can still change his mind. No matter how often I told her to shut it, the thought would creep in late at night. I figured that he wouldn't propose until just after or before Christmas, having totted up how many payments over how long. That way I could stop thinking about it until then. Sun streamed through the bedroom window the morning of what was to become the big day. Sunlight always uplifts me and boosts my sense of optimism. Sam who is always up hours before me came into the room and asked if I’d like to go to Pelican’s Landing restaurant for lunch that day. I assumed it must be because he has Thursday’s off work and it’s such a lovely day. Of course I was delighted because Pelican’s Landing in Williamstown is where he took me on our first proper dinner date, so it's a romantic spot for us. We arrived at the restaurant and were shown to a table next to the water overlooking the pier. As usual he asked me what I’d like to drink. I wanted something bubbly to go with the sunshine and the view and the treat of being taken out for lunch. He ordered two glasses of Prosecco. That surprised me. He always gets a glass of Shiraz. When the glasses came we clinked glasses as usual and he said ‘To us’. Again a surprise. Normally he’ll say ‘Tanti aguri’, or ‘Saluti’. A moment after I sipped the crisp Prosecco he said, ‘There you go,’ as he put a mauve ring box tied with a satin ribbon on the table. I gasped and looked to him to see his expression. He looked purposeful. He was doing it. I'm totally caught off guard. After nearly five years of being together, two of those living together while buying a house and doing it up, he was making the ultimate romantic commitment. ‘Will you marry me.’ An explosion of happiness hit me. Tears welled and I struggled to speak. I thought I said yes. I kissed and hugged him and then turned my attention to the box. I undid the packaging, stopping occasionally to wipe away tears and put the ring on. It sparkled in the sunlight and threw rainbows of light across the white linen table cloth. It was stunning. I was bewitched. ‘Are you going to say Yes?’ Sam asked. Wait, what? Didn’t I say Yes? I think I did, but he was having a moment too and it didn’t register so I had to make sure the message was clear and not lost in the moment. ‘YES! Of course I’ll marry you. (pause) I will marry you.’ We kissed and hugged some more. Those sweet heartfelt kisses in front of a restaurant full of people, were emotionally very intimate. I forgot about the other diners and where I was. It was just like I'd read about, my world shrank to just him, me and our moment. I looked at my ring about about ten times a minute as we ate our lunch and desert. After we walked hand in hand along the pier, recreating our first date. Later that day we had great fun ringing our family to share our happy news. Yesterday I shared the news on Facebook and Instagram, the response has blown me away. Thank you so much to everyone who expressed their congratulations and wished us well. It's very touching and means so much. But it you didn't see the ring yet. Here's a picture for you. Thanks for stopping by to read our proposal story.
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Romance author and lifestyle bloggerMy whole life is inspired by romance. I write romance novels of course but also love creating DIY's and decorating in a romantic style. I'm rejuvenating an old garden, including rescuing a couple of old rose bushes and planting new ones. Archives
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