By Shelly

The stars aligned the day I met Janine at the Design Indaba, forever ago. Her spirit was as sparkly as her art. Two necklaces caught my eye. One bore the inscription: “Once upon a time”.

Once Upon A Time

I fell in love with fairytales as a wide-eyed, wispy-haired girl. As soon as I could read, stories of princesses, mermaids and fairies captivated me. Magical realms never failed to whisk me away from sad moments and delight me. I read every single fairytale the Pinelands Library had to offer and needed to move libraries to consume more happily ever afters! Some may think this would lead to a skewed view of love, but to me, it carved the belief that the world is filled with magic. It made my head a magical place that I still love to live in!

Holding Onto Hopes & Dreams

When I met Janine and saw the “Once upon a time” necklace, foreboding clouds were swirling. My marriage was on the rocks, I was slaying dragons and desperately trying to save my baby from growing up on a battlefield. My rose-tinted glasses had been stepped on, but I never stopped believing in magic. Life was no fairytale, so instead, I chose another necklace: A whimsical kite, with a tail of bows, engraved with just one, powerful word: WISH…

I told Janine how perfect it was for me, as it was my wishes and dreams that were keeping me afloat. It reminded me of the Anaïs Nin quote: “Throw your dreams into space like a kite. You do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country!”

I had very little at the time. My card would decline when buying groceries. I’d get what my little one needed and put my food back. But I felt compelled to invest in this little piece of hope, to feed my soul.

The Necklace Became My Talisman

Janine spoke to me of talismans: special objects that are imbued with magical powers, to bring good luck. I wanted good love! Janine’s philosophy is that jewellery isn’t just something shiny, decorative or a statement of wealth. When there’s beautiful intention behind it, it becomes something meaningful, even magical. Being created by an actual mermaid helps! She said I should wear it daily until my wish came true.

The next two years were the hardest of my life. I cried when my girl slept and pretended to be happy when she was awake. Therapy couldn’t save my marriage, but perhaps wishing would save me. I wore my necklace faithfully. I knew I needed to leave, so my daughter would grow up seeing me happy alone or witnessing me being loved fiercely and correctly. I wanted her to know what healthy love looked like.

Dear Universe…

I started writing the most important letter of my life, titled: “Dear Universe”. I knew what I didn’t want, and thought long and hard about what I desired. I wrote it all down in exquisite detail. One thing I knew for certain, was that one day I would be euphorically happy. I accepted that I might be a struggling single mom for a good few years whilst living with my parents, but that ecstatic joy would find us!

Dipping My Toe in the Dating Pool

7 months later, a friend of mine forced me to join a dating app. She insisted I lowered my age limit to 33, too. Younger than me! Marrying older hadn’t worked, so why not? Dating again was wild. After spending my last pennies on a MAC makeover, I was stood up by a liar, and then rescued by a (very sweet) midget – a master of the upward selfie! I realised not everyone is who they say they are.
I scrapped my safety net of “talking for a month to get to know them” and lined up a date for that very Friday, with a 33-year-old (!) bearded Viking, with zero expectations.

Instead of getting all dressed up, I was simply myself, with my wish around my neck. I even told him “What are the chances of this working out? I’m simply dipping my toe in the dating pool!” To which he was most disappointed. I was magnetised by him and thought his Kiwi accent was so sexy, despite not understanding half of what he said. He thought I was “a belter!”

Ten Fairytale Days

From the moment we kissed, that was that! All my angst melted away the moment I was in his arms. I was home. We had just ten days together before he was to be at sea for two months. His lease was nearly up and, as he hadn’t met anyone, he was planning to move to Australia. But 10 days was all we needed to fall in love and change our destinies.

I love winks from above. Mine was that my beloved necklace, my talisman, broke the very WEEK I met my love! Just as my wish came true. It was no longer needed – such sweet serendipity. The Universe is so darn poetic!

An extraordinary, intuitive woman I adore, said that it was SO unlikely that we should have met, but that I called him in. And when I told my friend about him, mystified at how perfect he was for me, saying, it’s like I ordered him?! She said but, you DID! Remember the list you wrote? Of course, I’d forgotten. I looked back to discover he was everything I asked for, and then some. I didn’t even ask for abs & muscles!

A Blue Moon & a Palm Frond Wedding

We met during an actual blue moon. Waited two months for each other, messaging day and night. Two months after that, he put his car in my name(!), and four months thereafter we moved in together. A year later we were married beneath the palm fronds of our gorgeous new garden. It’s been nine happy years.

Wear Your Wishes

My wish for you ALL is to “Throw your dreams into space, like a kite.”

Write, speak & WEAR your wishes, as sacred talismans. Bear your heart on your sleeve, around your neck, wrist or finger! Lucky charms hold more power than you can imagine.

My Fairytale is Set with JBJ Stones

Our entire love story from beginning to no-end can be told through my Janine Binneman gems. Ever grateful to our alchemist! As I type, the magical peridot she sourced, from the foothills of the Himalayas, twinkles on my ring finger… with the iridescent opal my hubby secretly created with you shining on my right. But those are fairytales for another day!

There’s NOTHING more fun than creating your own unique magic with Janine. When she cracks open her box of rainbow gems, it’s like Christmas morning! Her custom jewellery is so much more than beautiful. Choose gems that hold meaning for you & inscribe your bling with your dreams – for words become worlds. That’s why it’s called spelling!

Enquire here to create a custom piece of magic with Janine.

Back to blog