Diamonds = Confusion.

Remember my ring?

No?

Okay, here's a reminder:

Looks like it would be pretty easy to find a matching band, right?

Wrong.

My initial idea was to purchase 2 of these, and have one above and one below. Essentially, I could mix and match -- wear both bands and my e-ring, one band and my e-ring, just my e-ring, just a band, whatever. I could change the look to whatever I desired...
But, that idea crashed and burned. I got the rings sometime last week, tried them on, and promptly decided I hated the idea. Absolutely hated.

So, this weekend, Tom and I went shopping again. After trying on several rings with no luck, the saleslady grabbed this:

I loved it. Immediately.

The catch?

It only came in platinum. The cost was equivalent to a down payment on a car. I asked if it came in white gold, and was told no.

The next day, I loaded up their website, and to my chagrin, found the EXACT ring in white gold.

Whaddya know? Plus the cost was close enough to our budget.

I received the ring yesterday, and am on the fence. I like it, then I don't like it.

Is it too shiny? Do all the diamonds match? Are the diamonds too big? Does it dwarf my engagement ring? Is the band too tapered? Should I have my engagement ring tapered to match? Should I get it soldered so the diamonds match up all the time? Is this what I'm going to want thirty years from now?

For now, I'll hang onto it. I'll show it Tom, wear it around, then make my decision. Ultimately, I think I'll keep it, but you never know...

Bargain Hunting Success!

Being the super internet sleuth that I am, I was able to track down the ring that Tom wants, and save over 50% off the list price...

While most people are afraid of using the internet for expensive purchases, I do not shy away. It's a fantastic medium that allows for easy price comparing, provides extra information, and can offer some great deals.

The trick to buying jewelry on the internet is to research and know your product. Check out the product in-stores, get the prices, try it on for size, then head to the internet. Read reviews of the product, the stores, check out the Better Business Bureau, etc.

Before purchasing Tom's ring, we visited several stores. We first determined the style that Tom likes --- white gold, simple, no design or diamonds. Then, we sized his finger. (We promptly forgot it, so in the end, he had to print off a sizer and do it himself...). I searched for about 2 months, reading reviews of various vendors and websites, watching the Christmas sales, signing up for promo codes, etc. I'd send him links to different rings, and he'd reply with what he liked and didn't like about them.

In the end, he chose this ring:

It's the exact ring he tried on at a jeweler's, and even with their "20% wedding jewelry" sale, it was completely out of our budget. While we realize that rings are not something to skimp on, since we'll be wearing them the rest of our lives, we still did have a budget that we had to stick to. By searching out the ring online, I found a Chicago-based store that had an online shop. Then, I searched for the store on eBay, finding the ring to be $30 cheaper (and included free shipping) than was listed on their website. In the end, I saved more than 50% of what the jeweler quoted us. Before I purchased it, though, I read the terms and conditions, refund and exchange policies, and the warranty and appraisal information. Since all checked out, I went ahead with the transaction.

Tom opted for white gold, as it holds up better than most other metals against scratches, but can still be easily buffed. Because he uses his hands so much with weightlifting and throwing, we needed to be sure that the ring could be cut off at any point in case of an injury. We'd heard many conflicting reports about titanium, palladium and tungsten, so we just decided to be on the safe side and choose gold.

All in all, we're both pretty happy with our ring selections. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures once they're in! :)

In Light of Valentine's Day...

...let's discuss our proposal.

There's always a lot of proposal discussion around Valentine's Day, even though I think it's all a bit cliche (but I'm not here to judge...). But, our story is both sweet and funny, so I thought I'd share:

Tom proposed in April 2007. While I knew it was coming, I was not exactly sure where or when it was going to happen. We were having a lazy Saturday, just bumming about and watching movies. When Tom asked me if I wanted to take a walk outside, I looked at him like he was crazy. I promptly told him no, I really didn't want to go anywhere. (Little did I know I was botching his entire plan). He left to go to the bathroom, where I could have SWORE I heard him talking on his phone. I thought it was strange, but I ignored it. When he came back, he asked again to go on a walk. I again gave him the side-eye. I saw him start to fumble through his stuff, but again, thought nothing of it. He then said to me, "I bought you something." This was the first time that I knew something was up --- he never buys me things without a reason. Ever. As he started to walk over, I noticed a book in his hands. Still not really putting two and two together, I continued to look at him quizzically. At that point, he bent on one knee, and I finally realized what was happening. I opened up the book, and he had written a poem (which I promptly memorized but won't repeat for fear of tarnishing his "manliness"). I flipped the page and found my ring (my beautiful, glorious ring), sitting perfectly in the book, like it would in a ring box. In pure storybook form, he then asked me to marry him, I said yes, and he slipped the ring on my finger.

Have any of you gotten ill yet? I'm sorry. I know it's sappy. But what did you expect?

What my dear boy had done for me, I still cannot wrap my mind around. He purchased a book (Just Like Heaven), which had two hands creating a heart on the cover, several days previous. He then sat for several hours, gluing each page together to create "the box." On top of that, he glued cardstock, then carved through 300 glued pages to create the slit for the ring to sit in. The proposal he planned (that I botched) was to take place outside at one of the most picturesque spots on my campus. He had even contacted one of my friends to hide out and take pictures, because he knew how much I love pictures. (That's who he was on the phone with in the bathroom, by the way. He was explaining to her that I would not cooperate). Like I said, he is such a sweet boy.

Coincidentally, I had received flowers that week from a friend, so I was able to use those for some pictures. Below is my absolute favorite!!



It would have looked so good, if it wasn't for the money in the background. Hahaha.

Oh well. So there you have it --- our sweet, funny, botched proposal!

A Must-Have Picture...

Even though it's pretty corny, I can't help but to love pictures like this! I definitely hope we can get some fantastic ring shots!