she said, I've gotta be honest
Well, since it's all over facebook by now, I'm sure most of you know, but for anyone who hasn't seen . . . I'm engaged!!! I am so so excited and happy about the whole thing, and I also can't fully believe it's real. We've been talking about this forever, it seems like, and now that it's really happening, there's a little bit of disbelief.
Anyway, story! Because this is something we've been talking about and planning for quite awhile, it wasn't some huge elaborate surprise or anything, but it was still just as romantic. I've actually known that he wanted to propose for over a year now, because last January, after we hit a really rough patch and came very close to breaking up, he told me that he'd bought me a ring, as a way of telling me how serious he was about us and how much he loved me. I cried a lot of happy tears when I first found that out. Later on, he told me that the ring he'd bought me wasn't very good quality, and he wanted to get me a real one that he could be proud of. A lot of obstacles, financial difficulties among other things, have come up in the last year to prevent this from happening any sooner than it did.
So this January, when Brad got his refund from his school financial aid, he took some of that money and ordered me a ring from an online jewelry company. That company had told him that it'd be a week to make the ring and 4 days to ship it. Well about two weeks later, they emailed him saying they hadn't even started on the ring yet. We were both fed up and frustrated at this point, so he canceled the order and we decided to find a local jeweler who either had a pre-made ring or could make one that we would be happy with. Armed with a combination of recommendations from people in the area and google search results, I went out with my friend Becca one day, and we visited 4 or 5 different stores to see what our options were. I picked the place I liked best, Organic Metal Gallery, and called Robin, the owner, to have her make my ring. Brad and I then went back so he could pay for it in advance, and she started her work.
I met with her several times to discuss what I wanted, see the wax mold, pick out the stones, etc. The ring was ready on Friday, so Brad and I went down and picked it up together. I tried it on in the store to make sure it fit, and then put it back in the box and handed it to Brad, since I didn't want to wear it until he actually proposed. We then went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, which is conveniently right around the corner from the Organic Metal Gallery, and had an absolutely delicious meal. We went home to relax and digest for a bit, before Brad got the ring out of his pocket and came to curl up on the couch with me. He told me a bunch of really sweet things: that he feels like I help him be a better person, that he doesn't know what the future holds but he wants to take a chance on it with me, that he has never felt so comfortable with anyone, that no one else has ever supported or done as much for him as I have. Then he asked me to marry him, I said yes, and I proceeded to spontaneously burst into giggles about every three seconds for the next hour or so.
Okay, not a ring pic, but us after we'd finished dinner at Langolino, pre-ring.
Ring in the box!
:D
I am completely in love with this ring. I think it came out so well, and it is exactly what I wanted. I didn't want the traditional diamond solitaire, and rubies have always been my favorite stone (not to mention my birth stone). I am really pleased with it and I can't stop looking at it on my finger, haha. I'm really excited about the whole thing, and every time I stop to think about the fact that omg we're really getting married and it's official now and this is for real, I get so giddy. The smile has hardly left my face in the past 48 hours, and I imagine it'll be there for awhile. ♥ ♥
Anyway, story! Because this is something we've been talking about and planning for quite awhile, it wasn't some huge elaborate surprise or anything, but it was still just as romantic. I've actually known that he wanted to propose for over a year now, because last January, after we hit a really rough patch and came very close to breaking up, he told me that he'd bought me a ring, as a way of telling me how serious he was about us and how much he loved me. I cried a lot of happy tears when I first found that out. Later on, he told me that the ring he'd bought me wasn't very good quality, and he wanted to get me a real one that he could be proud of. A lot of obstacles, financial difficulties among other things, have come up in the last year to prevent this from happening any sooner than it did.
So this January, when Brad got his refund from his school financial aid, he took some of that money and ordered me a ring from an online jewelry company. That company had told him that it'd be a week to make the ring and 4 days to ship it. Well about two weeks later, they emailed him saying they hadn't even started on the ring yet. We were both fed up and frustrated at this point, so he canceled the order and we decided to find a local jeweler who either had a pre-made ring or could make one that we would be happy with. Armed with a combination of recommendations from people in the area and google search results, I went out with my friend Becca one day, and we visited 4 or 5 different stores to see what our options were. I picked the place I liked best, Organic Metal Gallery, and called Robin, the owner, to have her make my ring. Brad and I then went back so he could pay for it in advance, and she started her work.
I met with her several times to discuss what I wanted, see the wax mold, pick out the stones, etc. The ring was ready on Friday, so Brad and I went down and picked it up together. I tried it on in the store to make sure it fit, and then put it back in the box and handed it to Brad, since I didn't want to wear it until he actually proposed. We then went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, which is conveniently right around the corner from the Organic Metal Gallery, and had an absolutely delicious meal. We went home to relax and digest for a bit, before Brad got the ring out of his pocket and came to curl up on the couch with me. He told me a bunch of really sweet things: that he feels like I help him be a better person, that he doesn't know what the future holds but he wants to take a chance on it with me, that he has never felt so comfortable with anyone, that no one else has ever supported or done as much for him as I have. Then he asked me to marry him, I said yes, and I proceeded to spontaneously burst into giggles about every three seconds for the next hour or so.
Okay, not a ring pic, but us after we'd finished dinner at Langolino, pre-ring.
Ring in the box!
:D
I am completely in love with this ring. I think it came out so well, and it is exactly what I wanted. I didn't want the traditional diamond solitaire, and rubies have always been my favorite stone (not to mention my birth stone). I am really pleased with it and I can't stop looking at it on my finger, haha. I'm really excited about the whole thing, and every time I stop to think about the fact that omg we're really getting married and it's official now and this is for real, I get so giddy. The smile has hardly left my face in the past 48 hours, and I imagine it'll be there for awhile. ♥ ♥