BEST DAY EVER

9 October 2024 – Best Day Ever!

Our beautiful princess Jasmine Adebi Reid married her love, Bryton James Noble.

@ Peterson House, Pokolbin, Hunter Valley NSW

I wrote this on 21 August 2024, in preparation of the big day….

My beautiful Jas,

I can hardly believe this day is here—your wedding day. It feels like only yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the first time, completely in awe of the little miracle I’d been blessed with. From that moment on, you’ve filled my life with more joy, pride and love than I could ever have imagined.

You are clever, beautiful, creative, fashionable (of course, you’re my muse) and oh, so kind. Every day, you amaze me with your talents and the depth of your heart. I often wonder what I did to deserve a daughter like you. You have always been a light in my life and I feel so blessed to be your mum.

We’ve shared so many wonderful moments together—each one a precious memory that I’ll hold in my heart forever. And even during the tough times (there’s been a few), your love and resilience has been my strength. Your unwavering love and support of Dad, Josh and I, your cheeky humour and your gentle spirit have kept me going through it all.

Today, as you step into this new chapter of your life, I want you to know just how proud I am of the woman you’ve become. You are my beautiful daughter, my first-born, and my precious Princess Jasmine. Watching you find love, safety and happiness with Beej fills my heart with so much joy.

I love you to infinity and beyond, always and forever,

Mum xxxxx

John’s (Father of the Bride) speech on the day:

Firstly I would just like to thank everyone for making the effort in joining us on this special day to celebrate this lovely couple joining in marriage. It’s not easy having a mid-week wedding and I know everyone has sacrificed a lot and we do appreciate it. 

I’d also like to thank everyone who helped in planning this special day, you all know who you are.

But wasn’t the ceremony beautiful and how good were our readers, Emmy, Zach, Darcy and Logan and not to mention how good is this venue.

How do I start?

Moreso Jasmine, how do I finish?

But we can’t start without some dad jokes

How much does a chimney cost, nothing, it’s on the house

Have you seen that new website conjunctivitis.com, it’s a sight for sore eyes

Hey George, how do you keep a musician in suspense.

How many ears does Captain Kirk have, his left ear his right ear and the final front ear.

If everyone can picture this little princess who loved dancing, playing dress up, scared of bugs and never wanting to get dirty. Well who would ever think she would love camping in a swag of all things, good job Bryton.

Jas, do you remember when you where about 3 yeas of age and you wanted shiny hair and you put about half a kilo of Vaseline in your hair, what a job it was to wash it out & we still have the blanket you used to try and wipe it off.

But on a serious note-

You know, things happen in life and it’s not always given to us to know why or how, so somehow through some stroke of luck I got to be Jasmine’s dad, and those of you who know Jasmine know she carries a light inside that she shares with everyone around her.

But Jasmine, it will take me a lifetime for me to say what you mean to your mum and I.

You are the most caring and loving daughter anyone could wish for. You have brought so much joy into our lives … you have made us cry a few times admittedly, but you’ve made us laugh so much more.

You have done everything on your terms and mostly non-negotiable terms. So remember BJ pick your battles and most of all, make some room in your wardrobe for all of Jasmine’s clothes.

We have shared so many life stories and I have seen you grow into this wonderful woman which makes me so proud.

Thank you for the greatest memories and thank you for being my wingman/ woman and we thank you for bringing BJ into our lives ( as Sitti said, (hel suba mnihe) which translates to (this boy is good) but as long as I live we will be best mates for life Jas.

My speech on the day:

First, I’d like to echo the thanks from my amazing husband John, to all of you for being here today. Your love and support mean the world to Jasmine and Bryton, but to us as well. We know it took a lot for you all to be here and we love and appreciate you all so much.

Jasmine, my darling girl, although words often don’t do justice to what’s truly in a person’s heart, what better day than your wedding day to take a moment to tell you just how proud I am to have you as my daughter.

From the moment I held you in my arms, I knew I’d been given one of the greatest gifts in life. You’re my muse (especially when it comes to fashion), my joy, my safe place and my reminder every day that life is filled with beauty, love and endless possibilities.

Watching you grow, making your way in the world and then finding your perfect partner, fills me with indescribable happiness. I’ve always known you had a strong sense of who you are. Whether you were twirling around the house in a tutu (or irritated by Josh twirling around in your tutu) – yep we’ve got a photo to prove it Josh, or handling whatever life throws at you — you’ve always done things your way, and with dignity and grace. I see so much of that beautiful, gentle, but determined little girl in the incredible woman you are today and I’m so grateful I get to be your mum.

And to Bryton…you have truly become an irreplaceable part of our family, from the time we met you at just 19 years old. Over all these years, you’ve proven yourself to be the perfect example of a person I can only describe as ‘salt of the earth’. You’re someone who’s humble, reliable and honest, you’re kind, down-to-earth, full of integrity, and I’ve always been impressed by your sense of responsibility towards family and the way you love and are loved by your friends (many of whom are here celebrating with us today). 

You’re just an all round great guy.

The way you love and care for Jasmine is something that every parent dreams of for their child. Thank you for being her rock, her laughter and for keeping up with her adventurous spirit (not to mention her continuously expanding wardrobe!)

Today marks the beginning of this journey called Marriage, and like any journey, it will have its share of twists and turns. But the two of you have a bond that is so strong, I’m confident that whatever life brings your way, you’ll face it together with strength, grace, love and determination …and that shared sense of humour you both have will help too.

Lastly, I just want to say how excited I am that we’re finally here. But I’m also excited about the wonderful future that’s ahead of you.

To Jasmine and Bryton, or Jas and Beej (as we affectionately call you) …may your days be filled with joy and laughter always, and your life together be filled with a love that only deepens with time.

I love you both, to infinity and beyond.

Let’s raise a glass to the happy couple…to Jas & Beej!

 

 

 

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STILL WORTH FAR MORE THAN RUBIES

Many years ago on 10th May 2011, I wrote a post on my blog in celebration of my mum who was turning 80 years of age. My blog was called “Life’s Like A Cupcake” back then. Do you remember it?

Life’s Like A Cupcake was a chronicle of sorts, a way of ‘self-talking’ myself through a pretty tough time in my life, facing cancer and many other health challenges.

I’m still here pretty much ‘self-talking’ my way through this wonderful life, still as grateful as ever but way healthier, thankfully! And one of the things on the top of my ‘grateful’ list is my mum, who is turning 93 in a week!!

Hanging with Mum, 28 March 2024

To celebrate and give thanks for this amazing woman who brought me into this beautiful existence in the first place, I thought I’d reshare this post.

Here it is…

WORTH FAR MORE THAN RUBIES

Born on the 9th May 1931, she lived a joy-filled and mostly carefree childhood.  Her days consisted of playing with her siblings in their quaint mountain village, climbing trees, riding horses and picking olives and other fruits and vegetables from the family farm.

 

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USING ART AS THERAPY

I’ve been on social media for years now and have had a true love/hate relationship with it. I’m not on Facebook at all anymore, but do have an instagram and Pinterest account.

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IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

I’ve been on social media for years now and have had a true love/hate relationship with it. I’m not on Facebook at all anymore, but do have an instagram and Pinterest account.

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WE NEED MORE LOVE, LIGHT & PEACE!

Things are tough in the world for so many right now. We need more love, light and peace! Just dropping in to share some pretty patterns in the hope it makes you smile.

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‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY (& sometimes anxious)

This time of year brings up so many emotions – childhood nostalgia, joy, wonder and excitement.  But for some, it can feel extra lonely and just plain anxiety-provoking. Anxiety can be so debilitating and

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IT’S A BRAND NEW YEAR… LET’S SMASH THIS!

2021 is here!

So I thought I’d ring in the New Year by sharing a few tidbits for new visitors and for anyone else who can’t recall why the heck they followed me in the first place ?

My name is Jennifer Reid. I’m an interior designer, graphic designer & illustrator.

I live in a beautiful …

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IT’S HIGH TIME TO BE WILD & FREE

This morning I went looking for this photo of my hubby and I in front of the Capitol Building in Washington DC in 2011 …it always makes me smile as it’s a perfect photo capturing our love in that tight squeeze of a hug… just love it.

It also reminds me of how much I love travel adventures, discovering new places, great food and beautiful architecture.

The instagram project popular at the moment #the100dayproject has really spurred me on with my own projects but I like to do things my own way. I thought it would be great to start my own project called #100LoveNotesToMe, but rather than put that sort of pressure on myself I’ll be writing or drawing love notes to myself – practising self care, reminding myself of all the awesomeness I have in my life, etc. And sometimes I’ll share the art inspired by all these love notes. But sometimes I’ll just keep them for me.

It has all got me thinking about the things I’m interested in and I’ve realised one of those is architecture and beautiful settings which I want to try to use more often in my illustration work.

One of my big brothers is an architect and I can remember watching him draw for hours as a kid, mesmerised by his fine lines, gorgeous ink pens and amazing talent. The first large ink & watercolour series I ever created was of ‘Cadman’s Cottage at The Rocks Sydney’ ….I wish I kept it …I did it during year 10 work experience at my brother’s architecture firm. Sometimes I wish I followed that career path I dreamt of so long ago.

So this fascination I had with architecture won’t go to waste though, I’ll simply use it as inspiration for my creations… here’s a gorgeous gal standing out front of some Sydney terraces with her cute kitty cat.  I’ve also a dreamy cobbled Italian streetscape for our upcoming Italian adventure, a cute scene of the Tour Eiffel Paris and even one of Cadman’s Cottage in The Rocks, Sydney. I may or may not share them once they’re finished.  We’ll see! But for now, ‘never stop dreaming!’

Jennifer xo

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RANDOM RAMBLINGS

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‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly!

‘Don’t worry, it’s not cancer.’

The famous last words of the doctor before I left her surgery for an ultrasound appointment in May 2009. She was not concerned in the slightest about the weird feeling I felt in my right breast, but begrudgingly sent me for the simple test to ease my mind anyway. Real big of her since it was my second concerned visit in two months …and as it turned out, it WAS cancer thank you very much Doctor!

No family history of breast cancer

I was 39 years old, with no history of breast cancer in my family and absolutely no other symptoms except that I felt something weird in my right breast that I’d never felt before.

So grateful my husband pushed me to investigate further, that ‘weird feeling’ ended up being a grade 3 aggressive tumour which had traveled to the lymph nodes under my right arm and could have killed me. What followed was heavy duty treatment to obliterate it – multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation treatment and later a bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgeries for good measure.

Another cancer diagnosis

Fast forward 8 years and I thought I’d kicked cancer’s butt for good! But believe it or not, it came back for another go.

Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2017 was like a bad joke really. Especially considering May was the exact month of my breast cancer diagnosis 8 years earlier!

I won’t bore you with all the details but what I will say is that I love my life and I don’t intend on giving it up without a red hot fight. And the best way I know how to do that is to live life gratefully.

It’s quite simple – each morning I awake I thank God I did. Whenever I sweat the small stuff I give myself a whack across the head (not literally, but you get it) to remind myself that things could be worse. If I feel sorry for myself I take one look at my husband, kids and my big Lebanese family and smile from ear to ear. When I tremble at my bank balance I log out of internet banking quick smart because I know money comes and goes – you can always make more of it if you’re healthy and motivated – so my health is my main priority and all else will fall into place.

Life’s like a Cupcake!

Back in 2010 I started a blog called Life’s like a Cupcake!  It was my therapy at the time …a way of journaling all the things I love about life and keeping track of my joy and gratitude, even amidst the crappy turn my health had taken.

I love sharing my heart through writing but I also choose to live more mindfully. Rather than blogging all my time away, I ‘unplug’ more often and only blog when I have words of wisdom or inspiration bursting out of me. I adore the internet, but in this techno takeover we need to keep it in perspective.

Between client work and personal projects, you’ll usually find me exploring the vibrant streets of Sydney or enjoying the simple pleasures of life with my treasured ones. This is where I find much of my creative inspiration for my art, which often includes themes of travel and adventure.

Never stop dreaming

If you’ve been following my story for a while or have only just stumbled upon my humble online abode, you may have noticed I’m a bit of a dreamer.

I dream of gallivanting non-stop around this amazing planet of ours – I’ve been to a few places but have so many others on my list. I dream of watching my children’s hopes, dreams and potential come to life – my kids are amazing, just sayin’! I dream of growing old gracefully and gratefully with the love of my life, who also happens to be my hero. I don’t know what I did to deserve him, but I got lucky with this one …he’s a keeper for sure!

I love the magic in words and affirmations and how they can effect your life in a positive way. My favourite mantra is ‘never stop dreaming’.  Dreaming keeps me motivated, always giving me a focal point to work towards. As an example, I once dreamt about doing a marathon after hearing only a small percentage of the world’s population ever run one. I wanted to be a part of that elite group, so would you believe in April 2012 my dream came true?

Paris Marathon 2012

After my gruelling medical history, including a serious ankle injury and only 6 months of training, not only did I complete a marathon for real, I did it in Paris no less, one of the most beautiful cities in the world – and in so doing raised in excess of $20,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) – and I have the medal to prove it.

I believe some day a cure for cancer will be uncovered …another of my dreams. But brilliant scientific discoveries don’t come cheap, which is the reason I continue to use my story as a cancer survivor to help NBCF researchers reach their goal of ‘zero breast cancer deaths by 2030’.

I don’t want to be forever known as the ‘cancer chick’, but I will be forever proud of being the chick who gives it all she’s got to kick cancer’s butt!

So where to from here? I’m not exactly sure …what I do know though is that I’m grateful to be alive and to be dreaming of the endless possibilities and opportunities the future surely holds for me and my treasured ones.

Oh and just in case you hadn’t realised, it’s almost Christmas (where the heck did 2017 go???) I don’t know about you, but all I want for Christmas is the gift of knowing my treasured ones are safe and well, celebrating another year of life and having the prospect of a future filled with all the endless opportunities, mindful moments and the simplest of pleasures this beautiful life has to offer.

Thanks so much for stopping by and I wish you the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years!!

Never stop dreaming,

Jennifer xo

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