The Engagement Ring

Since I just spent a lot of time today trying to figure out how to insure my ring (I didn’t have renter’s insurance, and then there was this thing with too many roommates…it got figured out, though, ❤ State Farm), I thought I’d post something really fast about it.

I’m the 4th generation woman to wear this ring in my family.  It originally belonged to my maternal grandmother’s aunt (according to a letter kept in my parents’ firesafe, it’s from 1928), who passed it on to my grandmother, who passed it on to my mother via my dad (who had the diamond reset in a simple gold band so that he had some say in it), and now to me.  I’ve put the stone back in the original platinum setting, and it’s beautiful.  And not only is it amazingly unique with a great story and am I fortunate enough to wear it until I pass it on to the next generation (it skips my sisters and will go to either an eldest daughter or niece; i didn’t make the rules, but I sure benefitted), but to my knowledge it’s not a blood diamond and I’m definitely “reusing.”  And I have to admit, it made the idea of proposing to Jason easier knowing that I already had a ring.  🙂 

Eventually, we’ll be looking at ways to get eco-friendly wedding bands as well, but for now, I’ll just post a link to a fascinating jeweler with lab-created diamonds (set in recycled gold!): greenKarat.  And, if you have a jeweler in mind, just talk to him/her/them about what your options are.  Check out the Buyer’s Guide from Amnesty International for some guidance.  There’s always lots of options, and you should be able to find something no matter your budget (tattoos, anyone?)!

And, with this and any other entry, I’d love to see other people’s thoughts and experiences in the comments.  🙂   

It’s a start

Well, I’ve been engaged for more than a year, so I figured it was kind of time to start posting!  I’ve had this idea for awhile, to do a blog to keep track of all my ideas and thoughts and even those bits that actually come to pass as my fiance and I start working towards actually getting married.  You can go to the “About” page to learn more about us and our engagement. 

So, a green wedding.  In Seattle.  Probably easier here than elsewhere, but it looks like I’ll be planning it from Bethesda, MD as I just got a fellowship at the National Library of Medicine.  We don’t know what Jason is doing yet, but it’s going to be kind of a destination wedding, so I’m already apparently departing from trying to keep things as eco-friendly as possible.  But it’s where we’ve lived for the past 3 years, all our parents have moved in the past year, and because of the way the rest of our families and friends are all spread out, we figured we’d go with a place we love, where at least some friends won’t have to travel, and we’ll try to make up for it elsewhere.  And maybe Jason will be staying.  🙂   

Right, so back to the purpose.  I see this blog as a reference/resource for myself, and potentially other Seattle brides (or even people planning other large parties).  As the planning progresses, I’ll be putting up stuff on clothing, food, locations, travel arrangments, favors, all that good stuff.  There’s a lot of information out there about having a green wedding, but I’ve got a couple unique things going for me: this is more or less specifically Seattle (although the ideas can obviously translate elsewhere), and I’m a librarian.  Not that that in and of itself is amazing, but I’ve had some training and practice in finding information and hopefully I can gather some new and hidden info and put it all in one place. 

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for posts with some actual information…