When Engagement Doesn't Mean a Diamond

This is part of the wedding series put together by the bloggers of BE Society on planning your ideal wedding. Be sure to check the linky at the bottom for all the great tips throughout this month.

   

   There is a new trend in engagement rings ladies and you just won't believe it! Used to be when your love proposed the only questions about the ring were the size and cut of the diamond. Perhaps a choice between white and yellow gold were also to be considered. These days women really know what they want and believe it or not, it's not always a diamond ring at all. Celebrities are usually on the cutting edge of these trends and this non-traditional engagement ring movement is no exception. Halle Berry wears a beautiful emerald ring and Nicole Ritchie rocks a gorgeous pink sapphire as her engagement bling. Let's not forget the Duchess Kate Middleton who wears the late Princess Diana's sapphire on her left ring finger.

   This option is not only for the rich and famous mind you. More and more "regular" women are choosing not to get a diamond engagement ring either. My sister, for example just didn't care to have a diamond when she got married and opted for a beautiful aquamarine ring instead which is pictured here:

I love the look of a diamond but like large, chunky rings which can get very expensive if you are going for that look in a diamond! I found a perfect compromise in a white aquamarine ring that my fiancee is still thanking me for choosing!

   I'm not just a from a family of oddballs that would rather have an alternative stone in our rings. I met a girl shopping once and admired the stunning cushion cut garnet ring she had chosen as her engagement ring because, as she put it, "Diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend."

   There are several advantages to going this route when choosing your ring. You have a much larger variety of ring styles available to you. You can be much more creative and get a lot more ring for your money. For example, the average price for a diamond is $4000 and up for one carat. That is just the diamond, mind you. Depending on the type of gold or platinum the diamond is set into and if there are surrounding stones, the price jumps up and up. These days most diamond engagement rings are financed like you would get a loan for a car. That's a payment each month for one piece of jewelry! At least when you pay for a car it provides you with transportation! With an alternative stone you can choose the color and therefore you can choose the metal you would like to have to best match your gemstone. With a little more wiggle room in price you may opt to have side stones, large or small that can be diamonds to add a little sparkle to your original ring. Let's have a look at some examples.

This is a 2 ct diamond set in platinum from Tiffany & Co.

It retails for the sale price of $33,500.00.

Here we have a 2 ct white sapphire set in rose gold, surrounded

in diamonds with 2 rings that wrap the solitaire. This can be purchased

online at Etsy for about $2,430.00.

This ring is a 4 ct cushion cut Kunzite stone set in 14kt white

gold with 26 diamonds around the halo & down the shank. You can

buy this one at AdziasJewelryAtelier for $2,480.00.

Here is a 2 ct pink Morganite stone set in 14kt white gold with

diamonds on the shank. This ring can be found at Ross-Simmons

& costs only 295.00.

This interesting piece is a 3 ct pink sapphire in 14kt black gold.

You can find it at wahelo.com & it costs $2,249.00.

   Your ring, like your wedding day is all about you. Make it your own. Throw the "rules" out the window. After all, you'll be wearing it for the rest of your life so it should be something that you really love. Happy Shopping!

   

   

Day 20 #30daysofpics My Blog Name

Day 20 What's the meaning behind your blog name? 

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. This is shocking I know. I've read all the books & watched all the movies multiple times. I have many parts & favorite lines. My favorite may be when the twins Fred & George give Harry the Marauders Map with the instructions on how to read it. You have to say "I solemly swear that I am up to no good".  The line that best describes my blog, however is when Harry first gets to Hogwarts & puts the Sorting Hat on to be sorted into his house. The hat says a number of things one being, "It's all here in your head". As are all the things I blog about! Hence, a name was born!

Keep Calm & Love Harry Potter!

Day 16 #30daysofpics Celebrity Crush

Day 16 Who is your celebrity crush?

I don't really have a celebrity crush. There's no one I'm just dying to get a hold of! That said I guess if push came to shove I wouldn't kick Brad Pitt out of bed. I mean hey, would you?

Enjoy! Love,

Day 12 #30daysofpics This Town is My Home

Day 12 A picture of the town you live in

This is my hometown & I love it. I was raised about 30 minutes away until I was 12 then we moved to this tiny, insulated place where everybody knows everybody & you're either from there or you ain't. We fit in like a glove & I got accepted as one of the "Ferry Girls". After moving around the state a little I've brought my daughter back to live & go to school in the same wonderful town I did. Right down the street from the marina where we go fishing & swimming in the river. Where the girls ride their bikes to one another's houses & we know almost every car on the road. As the lyrics to one of my favorite songs says, "This town is my home, it's deep in my soul".

Day 15 #30daysofpics Don't Leave Home Without It

Day 15 What is something you don't leave the house without?

This one seems boring & obvious but it's true. I can't go anywhere without my phone. There are too many people counting on me to be available for one reason or another so I make sure I always am!

Day 13 #30daysofpics Favorite Musician

Day 13 Who is your favorite musician & why?

I love music. I have extremely varied tastes too. Reading my iPod playlists is a trip. I have everything from the classics like The Beatles, The Eagles, The Allman Brothers & Led Zepplin. I've got (of course) my baby niece's favorite, Bob Marley & Jack Johnson. Gwen Stefani & old school No Doubt. Red Hot Chili Peppers & The Black Crowes. Let me not get started on the 80's or the hip hop & rap! 

With all of that I would have to say my favorite musician is a guy named Danny Boone. He fronts a band called ReHaB. I've met him personally & he writes true to life stuff that hits home & hits it hard. They play huge arenas but still come back to local clubs where they have large fan bases. I must say I love the guy & I admire him for not being afraid to just be who he is & to sing it loud & proud!

Rock on my friends,

Day 14 #30daysofpics TV Addiction

Day 14 A TV show you are currently addicted to

Big Brother 15! We love it. My little girl, my fiance & I all watch together & we have the most fun all giving our opinions on who should be voted out & why. We all have different favorites. The finale is Sunday. We'll be sad to see it go but looking forward to next summer & season 16. Isn't that the mark of a good show? Keeps you excited for a year!

Good night house guests!

Ipad vs. Android Tablet

Well here we are still in the hospital! It's just amazing the lengths I am going to to post a blog in this place. I had my smartphone & my android tablet (which I bought because I don't really know Apple products all that well) & I still can't manage to get a good enough connection to post. So I made my phone a mobile hotspot & the tablet worked for some things...just not what I really needed such as this blog. When my husband came after work he left me his Ipad Mini which was working wonderfully on the hospital's Wi-Fi. Until he left & I sat down to write. No such luck. So while I was about to write this rave about how wonderful the iPad is & maybe I made a mistake in not buying that, maybe I'll just stick to my trusty lil tablet with the keyboard built into the case. After all I'm working on it right now & the iPad is sitting in the box, not accepting the many connections I have offered it. So what do we thik in the way of electronics? Apple or Android?

Meanwhile my daughter is backsliding a bit. We had hoped to go home today but we're still firmly in place & we may be here tomorrow night as well. She's starting to get very upset as she just wants to go home. Momma wants to go home too but not without a healthy Katie to take along. So on we trudge & are praying for better news in the morning.

God bless & goodnight all!

Oh Joy My Kid is Hospitalized

It is so scary having a child with athsma. Her allergies act up depending on the season & the environment & it seems like anything sets her off wheezing & coughing. On Wednesday it was a half day at school & when she got home she was feeling bad enough that I needed to put her on her nebulizer. She did 3 breathing treatments & used her inhaler 3 times. That's a lot of medicine for a little body! Nothing was making my little feel better at all. In fact she started to run a low grade fever. My brother is a serious asthmatic so I called him & asked what do I do to calm her down. His reply? Get her to the Emergency Room. She may have an infection in her lungs that can lead to pneumonia. Eek! This was at about 8pm. So Daddy came home from work & we brought her in. By 3am we were admitted to the hospital. Today is Friday morning & we are still here. I'm tired. She is getting frustrated. She is missing school! Ahhh!! How do you cope when your baby is sick & your life is put on hold while you live in the hospital?

September 11th 2013

   Today is September 11th 2013. Will anyone of age ever forget where they were on 2001? I was managing my pharmacy in Wilmington, NC about an hour from one of the largest Marine Corps bases on the East coast. I was in the office of the store alone all morning until the pharmacist said, "We just heard something on the radio. You should get the TV out of the back & see what's going on." I grew up with the news telling me that hurricanes were coming & my Mom saying they weren't & they never did so I really didn't believe anything was happening. Nevertheless, I got the TV out & plugged it in at the front register where a group had gathered. We watched the plane hit the 2nd tower.

   Wow. And we watched for the rest of the day. My Grandmother had flown from LAX on the 10th. My mother's cousin worked in the Pentagon. My mom was a school teacher in Jacksonville very near the base. No one knew what would be hit next. There were stories of Camp David, our base. It was terrible. The cell phones wouldn't work. The military was mobilizing. This was happening on American soil? Are you for real? 

   What happened on that day was a true tragedy. I don't think anyone was in any way prepared for what happened. I don't think anyone was to blame either. I'm not a fan of George W. Bush but I reckon he did the best he was capable of. I'm not saying someone couldn't have done better. I'm also not bashing our sitting president. Not for any reason. I don't believe it helps anything at all. I think the best thing we can do is a nation is to not let them win. We keep about our normal lives as best we can & not let them keep us from taking a flight or what have you. 

   The message? Never forget. Never forget how heroic the first responders   were. Never forget how those ordinary citzens took down Flight 93. Never forget how lives were affected. But don't don't place blame on another American. Now is not the time to get into a political debate. No matter what. We were all one on that day & just let us never forget. God Bless America.

Day 11 #30daysofpics In My Make-up Bag

Day 11 What's in your make-up bag?

  I have 3 levels of make-up bags. I have a very large box under the sink that holds all the make-up that aren't in the other 2 levels. Mostly every single shade of eye-shadow man has ever made. Along with some bases & powders I have used & liked well enough at one time or another not to get rid of. Level 2 is the make-up I use everyday  to get out the door. Level 3 is my travel bag that  I carry everywhere for touch-ups or lip gloss, a little more mascara & so on. Level 1 looks ridiculous so below I have pictured levels 2 & 3. A girl loves her cosmetics! Especially Too Faced, benefit & Bare Minerals. I couldn't live without them!

Level 2

Level 3

Day 10 #30daysofpics Favorite Eatery

Day 10 A picture of my favorite place to eat

For lunch I love the half turkey & provolone sandwich on Texas toast with a bowl of loaded baked potato soup. Wonderful! & just enough food for me

For dinner there is nothing better to me than Outback's prime rib. Between that & their fantastic bread I just can't get enough!

Day 9 #30daysofpics My Last Purchase

Day 9 A photo of the last item you purchased

Last thing I bought...

& this would be why My thoughts are a mess so I'm trying to organize! Wish me luck I'm so going to need it!

How to Choose Your Perfect Wedding Venue

This is part of the series put together by the bloggers of BE Society on planning your ideal wedding. Be sure to check the linky at the bottom  for all the great tips throughout this month.

   One of the first and most important things you will want to do while planning your wedding is to decide on a venue. There are a great many places to choose from so that your venue will fit your needs as well as any theme you may have chosen for your big day. Long gone are the days where you get married in a church in the bride's hometown with a standard reception to follow. There are literally no rules and there are absolutely no wrong answers. The world is open to you so I have a few tips on the best way to go about picking out the ideal place to celebrate your wedding day. 

   You may first want to consider logistics. Having an approximate head count is a very good idea so you can automatically eliminate places that will be too small for say a 300 person wedding, or so large that the place will not have the intimate feel for a small gathering of 50 people. Also, as much as this day is all about you and your fiancee, your guests' needs are also important. If you wanted to have your ceremony on a beach but have relatives with limited mobility, you'll want to make sure you have made arrangements to accommodate them. The same is true if you are planning a destination wedding and your wedding party has small children. Can they make it to a safari location for a number of days? It's also a good idea to make sure that your venue has the lighting you are looking for or, depending on the season, heating and air conditioning available. 

   Depending on how important religion is to you and your fiancee you may be considering a traditional, church ceremony followed by a banquet hall reception. About 50% of couples choose this route. If you are going with a religious ceremony, it may have to be held in a place of worship that should be booked before the reception hall. You may also want to check with the facility as to what their policies are on decor. Some places frown upon heavy decorations and/or flowers that need to be put up before the ceremony then taken down afterward. On a plus side, many reception halls can hold between 100-400 guests and provide silverware, dinnerware, linens and in some cases food and beverages which will save you money on your overall budget in the end. 

*Resources: 
-National directory of Christian churches: churchangel.com
-Jewish temples: jewishdirectory.com
-Mosques: islamicity.com/orgs
-Hindu temples: hindumandir.us
-Extensive list of reception halls: elegala.com

   Conversely, you may choose to go with an alternative location. This list is endless. A few suggestions are a farm, a museum, an art gallery, beach resort, botanical garden, civic center or even a sports venue. Depending on where you decide, it will be easier in some cases and harder in others. For example, in choosing a beach resort lodging can be included as well as catering, staff to clean up afterwards and a picturesque background for photos. If you went with a farm, consider some of the heavy lifting that may be involved including bringing in your own seating and tables, a place for the catering staff to set up and serve as well as moving Bessie and the other animals while your event takes place. What to know when using an alternate location is to get a few things in writing such as head count, do they have or need a liquor license, can they execute a fire plan and liability insurance for any accidents or property damage.

*Resources:
-Chamber of commerce for venue recommendations: uschamber.com
-For creative spots: uniquevenues.com

   While there is a lot that goes into wedding planning, choosing your venue is an important step and there is a lot to consider. But you can make you day as unique and as wonderful as you are by taking your time and putting a bit of thought into picking the perfect venue for you and your fiancee. As I stated before almost any place is open to you so with a little careful thought you can have the wedding location of your dreams!

    

   

Day 7 #30daysofpics Dream Wedding

Day 7 Your dream wedding

No words are needed.

With Love,

Day 6 #30daysofpics Perfect Pet!

Day 6 A photo of an animal you would love to keep as a pet

This is a teacup Yorkie. My neighbors have one & every time I go over I think  can smuggle her out in my pocket! These are so cute I can't stand it! My fiance says absolutely not but they are SO small (see picture #2. It's a little taller than a medicine bottle!) my argument is what's the big deal? I'm kind of in love! Is there anything more adorable? I just wonder what my one-year-old niece would think of this animal? She's growing up with 2 boxers!

Much love,

Day 5 #30daysofpics Me, 2 years ago

Day 5 A picture of me 2 years ago

This is a picture of me taken 2 years ago by my daughter. I wasn't in love with how I looked at the time so there's not many from that time period. Bt I managed to find one that I don't hate!

Day 4 #30daysofpics My BFF

Day 4 Your favorite photograph of your best friend

This picture was taken at my mom & stepdad's wedding in 1994. My best friend & I were in the wedding ceremony & we nearly died reading the passages my mom picked out for us. This is one of our favorite pictures ever!