Elephants Never Forget.

This is a good story.

Last March, I went to New York City for the weekend. I reunited with some of my oldest friends, girls I've known since high school. Saturday morning we got up, got our caffeine fix, and wandered upon a little arts and crafts festival in the Village. (Those New Yorkers, they love their sidewalk vendors.) As we strolled from stall to stall we came upon a collection of handmade jewelry. My friends and I oohed and aahed over several pieces and I, in particular, spent a good part of our time eyeing a brushed gold elephant charm on a delicate gold chain. It was love at first sight for me and that elephant and I was so very tempted to make the purchase right then and there. The vendor had some silver and gold pieces, which I understood to be priced at $50. Still, the frugal side of my brain discouraged me, reminding me I'd be better off putting that $50 toward something more practical.

My friends and I walked on, off to find more adventures in lower Manhattan. All day though, I kept thinking and talking aloud about that elephant necklace. My friends said we could go back to the woman's stall if I wanted to buy it, so later in the day we trudged back into the Village. All set to shell out my hard-earned cash, I approached the stall. That's when I learned that the silver charm was $50 but the 18K gold brushed piece I'd developed my crush on was actually $75. I sighed. It had taken me all day to justify shelling out $50. $75 just wasn't in the cards. With one last longing glance at Mr. Elephant, I walked away.

You know how sometimes, you walk away from a purchase, dismiss it and never think of it again? This was not the case with that elephant. I thought about that necklace often, even after our weekend in New York, wondering if maybe I'd discover something similar on Etsy or in a local Boston boutique.

No such luck.

Until.

Three of my most loveliest friends and I decided to attend this event in Boston the other night. It was a "girls night out" gathering, where women were catered to in every sense of the stereotypical pink drink, giggling, product obsessed way. I mean, the goodie bag we were given actually came with a Harlequin Romance novel. I wish I could tell you I was kidding.

(Now I like pink drinks and products as much as the next girl, but well, lets just say this event made for a very interesting sort of crowd. )

This is really neither here or there though because I would like you to guess who had a table set up at the event? Go on, guess.

Yes! The same woman from New York!

Sugary pink drinks in hand, my friend Brynn and I strolled over to one of the many jewelry stalls and began admiring earrings. I looked down at the woman's business cards on the table and said to my friend, "Huh. I recognize her business card from somewhere..."

I looked at her earrings for another minute or so until the light bulb finally came on. She was the elephant lady! Could it be, I wondered? Did she still have it? I walked to the other end of the table quickly and suddenly, there it was! My same lovely elephant necklace! Reunited at long last! And do you know the best part?

It was $20 cheaper than she'd quoted in New York! (See, we Bostonians don't always fall for those inflated NY prices...)

I grabbed my friends and told them the abbreviated story. "You should get it!" They said. I tried it on.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "Do I really need it?"

"What? Are you crazy? Get the necklace!" my friends cried. (I have smart friends.)

And so, I did. Mr Elephant and I were united at long last, and he has fast become one of my absolute favorite necklaces. The fact that it seems that little elephant found me after all those months? Makes the whole story just perfect.

Man. I just love a happy ending.