Non-Traditional Engagement Rings (and Wedding Bands)

Engagement rings that veer from the traditional sparkly white diamond path seem to have become increasingly prevalent over the past few years...emeralds, sapphires...you name it.

I, personally, am sporting a cushion cut sapphire with a diamond halo. Why did I choose the blue route? No, it is not because I wanted to be like Princess Kate (I am asked this....every...single...time...)...or princess Diana...or anyone else for that matter. I wanted to be like me. I tried on countless diamond engagement rings and they were all extremely beautiful...but none of them were really "me". I have always admired the rich blue color of a sapphire and I also wanted to truly love the ring that I would be wearing for-ev-er. So, long story short...I LOVE my ring and I also love noticing others who have chosen a non-diamond option as well. And lets get real...getting married is not really about the ring. One of my favorite examples is a previous coworker who wears a thing wooden band that matches her husband. While it is the furthest thing from bling...your eyes are immediately drawn to it because it is so unique. I think that says a lot.

If you still love a diamond engagement ring, but want a little flair from time to time, perhaps you might look into a non-traditional wedding band. Case in point...my best friend has an A-MAAAAZING engagement ring. This thing is literally jaw droppingly stunning. But she decided that she didn't want to wear the traditional wedding band next to her engagement ring and went with a rose gold and champagne diamond infinity band to wear separately...also veeery beautiful and it gives her the option to switch things up a bit (and as a girl, we like to have options). Her husband also bought her a thin gold band for Christmas to wear next to it...I love the idea of stacking the milestone rings! The more jewelry the better! I am currently in love with this pretty little thing below (right). Take my breath away - not to mention its very reasonably priced!

That's all for now folks!

T

Via bridezilla.com (left) and Amazon (right)

Lunch Break Post: How Much Glitter is too Much Glitter? Silly Question Friends...

Image Mochatini, Cotewrites Blog, Christina Re via Pinterest.  

OK...So I have a confession: I. LOVE. GLITTER. And to be honest...anything else that shines. If there were such thing as G.A. (Glitteraholics Anonymous, of course) I would be immediately signed up by my family and friends. I am like a determined fish going after a shimmering lure dangling through the water. This is my life.

Lets get real, if someone gave me a dollar for every time I Googled any combination of "glitter" "sparkle" or "wedding"...I would probably have at leeeeeeeeeeast....$1,392. Hey, that's a lot for only being engaged for a month! So here lies my issue: How much glitter is too much glitter?

Basically, when I "first" began thinking about my wedding vision, I knew there were a few things that I wanted to tackle on my own, for example: escort cards, table numbers, and centerpieces. With all the wonderful DIY ideas floating around the inter-webs nowadays, I knew I wouldn't have any trouble finding a basic concept (at the very least) to make more...me!

Which brings me to a couple of weeks ago when I made my way to the local craft store to gather some supplies that would help me bring my freshly conspired ideas to life. I literally spent hooooours perusing the aisles. When I got to the check out line, I looked into my cart and for the first time thought...you have a problem. Glittery ribbon (yards and yards), glittery spray paint (cans and cans), glitter, glitter, glitter! Did this stop me from buying it all? Absolutely not. But it did bring me to the conclusion that I have to find a way to bring all of this together without it becoming a glitastrophe.

So where am I now? Well, I have been toiling away in the little corner of our basement workshop which have taken over and turned into a magical place called Wedding World (...yikes). Good news is that I have some great ideas that I will be sharing in upcoming DIY posts....So stay tuned!

T