Ring Part II

Following the photoshoot we went to meet our ring designer. 


The first time we visited The gold and diamond warehouse we met with Max.  I loved Max because
 a) my dogs name is max
 b) he has a dark gottee and kinda looks like my dogs' face and
c) he was very comforting and nice to us. 


This second time Max was out of town and we met with Barry.  Barry was cool, but no Max.  And we knew what we wanted and brought the cash Max suggested we bring.  But Barry wanted a bigger deposit, so that was awkward…. Once the men started talking money, I shut up.  I’ve worked in sales and I understand where a salesman is coming from.  But my fiancé hasn’t and he gets deals on things I would have never thought possible.  I think it’s because he’s never worked in that industry and asks for things most people would never ask for.  Needless to say, we walked out getting what we wanted.  Hopefully it will be ready by August. 


I’m SUPER excited about that.  My fiance is super excited too, because he knows it means I will stop talking about the ring I don't have and I'll talk about the ring I DO have.  The ring I will LOVE forever and ever and ever.  Oh ya, I'll love him for that long too ;)


Living Life to the Fullest and patiently waiting for my dream ring.
-Rachel

Update: Here is THE ring!!

LOVE IT!!!

Too good to be true?

The wedding dress shopping as continued!  This time I was joined by my mother, youngest sister (MOH) and my grandmother.  We had a blast!  But I will say it was exhausting!

What I expected at these boutiques:
- champagne
- to look stunning in every dress
- the "ooo"s and "ahh"s
- to find THE dress
- to hate my body
- Super expensive dresses

What actually happened:
-No champagne
-All dresses are size 10 so if you don't fit that don't consider going in.  I fit most of the size 10's unless it was a tight fitting dress (mermaid).  My hips are not a size 10.
-A few "ooo"s and "ahhs" but more "hurry up" "What's taking so long" and then blank stares
-Did not find THE dress
-I definitely did hate my body at the end of it all
- Pricing was all over the place.  LuLu's was around $800 (similar to David's Bridal!), Stellas was $2,000 and up and Couture Bridal in Addision was in the middle. 

A few photos of the dresses that didn't make the cut:

I really really love this dress, but I can only wear one...so this didn't make the cut

My family really liked this dress, but the train was too short for me and it was too simple

I like the pleating on this dress and the train, but wasn't that big of a fan

This is my DREAM dress, from that last post.
 Obviously the mermaid look didn't work here but it's not custom fit to my body.
The family did not like this dress, but this does look similar to the dress I will be wearing.

I took some time following my 2 day dress fest and thought about each dress.  Then I looked in the pictures at the dresses....because at the end of the day all you will do it look at the pictures right?  If it didn't look good in pictures I didn't want to consider it.  If the details that I loved about it didn't come out in the photos, I didn't want to pick it.  I had a freak out moment that my MOH, Shaena, helped me through when I thought I needed to find another dress because none of the ones I tried on where 'The One'.

And finally I made up my mind.  I am getting the dress I tried on in Amarillo with my fiance's sister.  I loved that dress the minute I put it on and I love that my future Sister-in-Law was there to pick it out with me. 

And then this website came in to my e-mail inbox from my uncle:  www.dressilyme.com  I quickly visited this site (as I hope you will) and I noticed almost every dress I tried on is on this website! (expect for the LuLu dresses)  Even my Amarillo dress!  And this website isn't charging me the $1200 Amarillo is charging.  It's only $200!!! 

I'm thinking this is too good to be true!  But I'll let you know when I get my dress.  I totally ordered it!  I ordered standard size from dressilyme and I'll have the alternations done here.  If I don't like it, I have 5 days to return it (returns are easier if you order standard size).  Not a lot of time to return, but it will be in here in 20 days so I'll have plenty of time for pictures!  All the salons I went to said it would take 3-6 months to get in.  Hopefully Dressilyme works out and I don't have to order from a boutique because it will definitely be a RUSH order!  
Wish me luck!

Living Life to the Fullest in a white dress!

-Rachel

Smitten by Spanx

PLEASE tell you you've read Forbes magazine before.  And you were totally bored with most of the articles unless they mentioned the mansions or the luxury vacations right?  No?  Just me?

If it's not the fancy things that catch your eye, maybe it's the social responsibility articles you like.  Millionaires make money by not screwing up environment or employees lifestyles and actually pay fair wages! (it's like finding a needle in a haystack but good guys do exist) I like those articles but everything else is SO boring.  Wow, a rich white guy gets richer?  Wow an old white guy gives his company to his son, who would have thought....I'd rather learn about the underdog.  Because, let's face it, I'm the underdog. 

So as I'm sitting at the doctor last Thursday I began to read the World's Billionaires of 2012 issue.  I officially have my first girl crush.  Sara Blakey created my FAVORITE accessory.  Not shoes, not a new purse, it doesn't even have anything to do with diamonds.  She created SPANX and became a billionaire in the process.

If you are a woman and you enjoy working and making money.  Or if you are at a point in your life and you are thinking there is SO much more you can do and you just don't know what it is.....read this article! 

Sara was doing fine.  She had a great sales job and excelled at her job!  But wearing panty hose in the Florida heat did not cut it for her.  She loved the control top, but not the sweaty legs.  She needed a product that nobody was making.  Her confidence from her sales job and her business background propelled her into the youngest woman self-made billionaire in this issue.  Please please please read this.  Go to the doctor and read it there!  Or buy a freakin' issue.  I hope she inspires you.  Like I said, I'm in love with her confidence and her drive to excellence!



Another thing I learned from this issue: Walmart execs are so freaking rich they make up something like 5 out of the top 10 USA billionaires.  Boycotting Walmart will not save the starving children.  They are 'Too Big to Fail'. 
     Warren Buffet, Christy Walton, Jim Walton, Alice Walton, S. Robson Walton


Living Life to the fullest finding inspiration in underwear!

The Ring

I'm not engaged, but the Man in my life is looking for a ring.  Actually he was looking last June when we went to Vegas together!  Poor guy, walks into a Zales in Vegas and asks me to look for a ring I like.  I look at the engagement rings and even try on a few.  But I realized my fingers are really long, and if I don't get a 3 carat round cut diamond, my ring will be unnoticeable when sitting below my king kong knuckles.

So I convinced myself I needed an oval diamond.  I haven't seen too many oval diamonds and I like being unique, so I love the idea of an oval cut (like above).  However, we're in Vegas and in a diamond store and the Man really wants me to come home with a diamond ring.  So he buys me a "ring with diamonds" not a "diamond ring".  Something similar to these:

As I research diamonds more and more I realize....they are a HUGE rip off!  My goodness!  We went to Zales and found an oval solitaire 1.3 carats...we were quoted $13,000.  $13,000!!!  The Man says it's no big deal and he'll save up.  I'm starting to realize he'll be saving up for a LONG time.  And this girl has an ITCH.  A wedding itch.  A time to move on with my life itch.

While I'm scratching, I stumble across an article on AOL article (yep, I still read AOL news...not a fan of Google news layout). 

This article (which I can't find on AOL anymore, so I'm sorry there is no source) suggested a wholesale company I've never heard of:  James Allen.  They are based out of New York and do not have a store front.  

Their comparable oval diamond at 1.36 carat was $4,130.  $4,000!!  That's one THIRD of Zales.  This made me sick to my stomach!

So why does Zales cost this much?  I'm sure can figure out it's because of the hundreds of locations around the U.S.A.  Also their sales staff and their popularity.  As our sales rep at Zales said "We're the McDonalds of diamond stores".  umm wow - thanks but no thanks.  I do NOT want fries with that! 

I'm on the mad search for wholesale diamonds.  I've looked at BlueNile and ItsHot.com. 

          

I also found a local wholesale jeweler who has the same warranty and trade-in policy as Zales. 

You may be wondering why I am looking for this ring and the Man isn't.  Well for starters, I sit at a computer all day while he's on a tractor.  So I have the resources and time.  Also I'm much more money conscience than he is.  If he had $13,000 cash that day he would have bought that ring.  But I'm a sales person by trade and I know there's more than the value of the ring in that $13,000 price.  And seeing that two thirds is going to the corporation, I'm NOT on board....besides I'd love to support a local jeweler.  I know there's a possibility the local guy will go out of business (even though this company's been around for 20+ years).  But at the same time, that's why you insure your diamond!  He could skip town or I could lose the ring!  Life is full of risks.

So wish me luck on this journey!

Look for the next post on Why I'm getting a ring (and not forgoing it all together).

               Sidebar: as soon as I say I want an oval diamond to be unique, my friend from college gets an oval diamond!  But she doesn't have king kong knuckles....she's super skinny and super tiny.  Her photo below.

She did the 6 prongs, which I thought I didn't like, but it doesn't look too bad and it holds the diamond better than 4 prongs.

My hand with loose 1.3 carat diamond -->