Weddings Galore

I've totally abandoned Into the Bright over the last few weeks, partly (ok, mostly) due to a prolongued bout of procrastination and partly due to distractions in the form of two lovely weddings that saw us heading West to good old Toowoomba.  I'm finally back online and I've sorted through a sea of photos to share some highlights with you. Both weddings were held at Preston Peak Chapel, which is the cutest, picture-perfect location and the weather couldn't have been better for both couples. I love being a wedding guest - the atmosphere is always so warm and friendly and uplifting. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting glammed up, spending time with my partner's family, meeting new people and sharing in a HUGE number of toasts! Here's to the fizz, to my beautiful partner for delivering a killer Best Man speech and, of course, the happy couples!   

C

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An Attitude of Gratitude

'Enjoy the Little Things' Print by The Love Shop via Etsy

I was lucky enough to have my mum come and stay with me here in Australia for the last few weeks and I am so grateful that she did.  Since moving here three years ago I’ve felt a lot of guilt about leaving my family behind and part of me has never quite accepted the fact that I might be here for the long haul. I wouldn’t let myself see Brisbane as somewhere I really fit into and I would feel frustrated that something wasn’t quite right. Being with Mum as she experienced Australia for the first time really put things into perspective for me. She was so impressed by it all and her enthusiasm was infectious. I realised that I have so much to be grateful for and that I live in a beautiful, safe place with heaps to offer. Having the break from work and doing things I enjoy really made me appreciate the little things, like spotting wild kookaburras and hearing them laugh, drinking great wine and people watching by Brisbane River, feeding kangaroos, having the most delicious brunch at a little restaurant called Petrol in Sydney, going on long drives through regional Queensland while taking in the views and spending quality time with my partner’s family and their adorable dog, Buster. So today, I'm adopting an attitude of gratitude.

xx Thanks Mum! xx

Here are a few highlights from our break...

What are you grateful for today?

C
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The Farm

The farm is a little gem of a place.  A dusty path leads you in through an expanse of flat acres that are sprinkled here and there with cattle and framed in the distance by views of the Great Dividing Range.  The path then turns and runs parallel to a creek, next to which stands a well-worn, well-loved house. Last Sunday we paid a visit and were greeted outside the house by my boyfriend’s Grandpa, all smiley eyes and long white beard like a slim Aussie Santa Claus! Like always, once invited inside we found his Grandma smiling and presenting us with homemade cake still warm from the oven (this time banana cake with lemon icing), a little vase of fresh flowers on the table and a seemingly unlimited supply of soft drinks in the fridge.  We stayed until the sun set and I was perfectly content wondering around taking pictures of anything that caught my eye. Here's to simple Sundays, the farm, family and lots of cake!  

C

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A Wet Weekend: Noosa and Eumundi

Last weekend the boyfriend and I took a trip to Noosa for the long weekend. When making the booking I had grand visions of horse riding along the beach, fishing in a little boat on the river and eating an entire wheel of brie at a local winery. But alas, the winery was closed and the weather was dire, so we ended up curled up at the apartment watching old episides of the Office and spent a grand total of about 8 minutes on the beach.  We did, at least, enjoy some posh nosh at The Beach House restaurant on Hastings Street and managed to drag ourselves out to watch Hangover 3 and eat Tapas at IS. During the brief window of sunshine we got on Saturday morning, we also headed to Eumundi Markets for a bit of a browse. 

Crap weather aside, the break was just what I needed.  Cheers to Queeny and her birthday!

C

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