My Ring's Understudy/Stunt Double.

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Yup, you read it right: my ring has a "body" double. No, my ring isn't planning on starring in any Hollywood movies or Broadway plays anytime soon. But it did go away on a VERY long trip today. That's why the understudy had to step in.

Before I get to that, let me explain what prompted us to "cast" the double.

A couple weeks ago I glanced down at my ring and gasped with shock. One of its micro-pave side stones was missing! I knew this was bound to happen sometime. Both my MOH and FSIL's pave stones have fallen out before and they warned me that it is pretty much inevitable. Thankfully Mr. Lab bought an extra insurance policy with Zales to cover this type of thing. But we nearly made a disatrous mistake regarding the policy that was avoided only by some really good timing.

Zales offers a Lifetime Diamond Commitment where if the diamonds become chipped, broken, or lost from its original setting, they will replac the diamond at no charge. But here's the catch: you HAVE to have your ring inspected twice a year (every 6 months from the date of purchase) to keep the policy in force. Neither Mr. Lab nor I knew we HAD to do this. We both assumed that if something ever happened, we'd walk into the store, tell a representative, then send the ring on its merry way to be made brand new again. WRONG.

Because Mr. Lab bought my ring in December, my 6 month inspection deadline is at the end of June. Had my side diamond decided to fall out in next month, we'd be screwed. Mr. Lab has yet to have my ring insured independently (bad doggie!), so we would have had to pay out of pocket to have the ring repaired. Fortunately, luck was on our side and the diamond fell out within the 6 months of purchase. We were alerted to the details of the policy when we took the ring into the store.

However, we ran into some bad news when we dropped off the ring. The store manager told us that because of the upcoming 4th of July holiday and summer in general, many jewelers in our area are on vacation. This meant my ring has to be shipped all the way to Dallas, TX from Georgia! She told me it could take up to 6 weeks for my ring to return! The longest I've been apart from my ring was when it was being sized and that was only about a week. I've grown so accostomed to my ring that I feel naked without it. My ring finger even has a tan line and indent replacing the spot where my ring used to rest!

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Needless to say, the thought of not having my ring for over a month was not easy news to take. That was when Mr. Lab and I started discussing options for a ring "body double". We both thought it would be a good idea to have a backup ring for any future ring repairs or even for times when wearing my "real" ring would put it in danger (i.e., at the gym lifting weights, going to the beach, etc.).

I thought about just wearing my wedding band since my ring came as a set. But I ultimately felt like that would be cheating. I only want to wear it when I have a "Mrs." in front of my name. So while we were at the mall, we decided to check a couple department stores to see if they had any inexpensive replicas of my ring. No luck. So we made quick trips to Kohl's, Wal-Mart, and Target. The only ring we found that came even close was over $300.

That's when I turned to the infallible internet (or interwebs as Mr. Lab and I call it)! I quickly found what I was looking for on Amazon.com. I found a nearly identical ring and band made of cubic zirconia set in sterling silver for only $46 including the gift box! Look how closely it resembles my ring:

Real vs. Fake

But it gets better! The company selling the ring, Eve's Addiction, was running two promotions: free shipping plus 20% off the purchase price. My total came out to be only $36.80 shipped! The ring should arrive in less than a week and ready to get right to work. Now I can sit back and relax knowing I'll still have my mark of a betrothed woman when my "real" ring is out of commission. And I'm glad my ring finger won't have to go around looking "indecent" anymore with all its public nudity! ;)

My Ring, The Model.

Once again I spent a boring day at home. I decided to break up the monotony by doing what so many bees before me have done: take some artistic shots of my e-ring. It's like a rite of passage! Besides, my last mention of my ring broke the first rule of Weddingbee PRO Anne Ruthmann's tutorial on amazing engagement ring shots. I couldn't leave you guys with those amateur shots to remember my ring by!

So with the help of some items laying around the house and editing on iPhoto and Picnik.com, I came up with these new photos using my Sony Cyber-shot!

*WARNING* My ring was being a camera whore, so you'll have to excuse the number of photos. I took over 100 photos of her and narrowed it down to the 12 you're about to see!

This is a picture holder with a champagne bucket base. I had to play around with the adjustable threshold in Picnik until I couldn't see the pole for attaching a photo sticking up out it.



Sitting in the faux flowers that hang in sconces in our living room.



Some scrapbooking supplies left over from my FSIL's album I made for her engagement (still haven't finished it! eek!).



Sitting on top of crafting rhinestones. Used a focal zoom in Picnik for the effect.



This was by far the hardest photo to get. I had to use some tacky stuff (the only color I had was yellow) to keep the ring upright. I used a focal soften to draw the eye to the ring. I'm guessing the yellow down the middle is from the tacky stuff after I hit auto fix?





For these two I used the holga-ish option on Picnik. Both of these were taken on the same picture frame.



My graduation tassle.



This one was done using the 1960's option. The ring is on a fake rose petal shaped like a heart.



Cinematic scope on Picnik. The ring is on a button I wore for New Year's.



Vibrance mode with rounded edges. These are the shoes I was wearing we I got engaged! Pink's my fave color. :)



I used gritty & holga-ish on this. My ring is sitting on top of a picture frame that houses the first picture we took as an engaged couple!

I love MAC. Created using orton-ish on Picnik.

I shouldn't have to tell you what this is!

The E-Ring Blues & Registry News!

Today was a very sad day. I had to part ways with my engagement ring so it could be sized. It will take a couple of weeks for us to be reacquainted. Ladies and gentlemen considering engagement: if you have the chance to size the ring BEFORE the proposal, DO IT. It has been TORTURE not having my ring to stare at like usual, and it's only been about 8 hours without it. :(

The good news of the day was having my mom visit. We went out to eat for lunch and then did our usual shopping trips around town. We decided to get a jump start on my registries while we were out and about. I know it's early, but I'm afraid that when the time comes to do this (according to a suggested wedding time line) I'll be too busy with finals or an internship. Gift registries sort of intimidate me because I don't really know what I'll need or will really use. It feels so "adult" to upgrade from our cheap silverware (and sometimes plastic-ware) to formal flatware or from busted pots to amazing professional cookware. Then there's the fact that Chris and I have been living together for over a year, so we already have a lot of things that are typical on registry lists. So it was great having my mom there to help guide me around what I'll really need and what I won't.

We made our first stop at Macy's and I almost felt shunned by the 20-something-"I don't really want to be working today"-girl who was supposed to give the "personal bridal registry consulting" as describe online. We stayed for about 15 minutes and only registered for the Vera Wang Love Knots toasting flutes, a towel set, and an ice cream maker before we decided to give up and leave. But I did get a nice tote with a whole bunch of freebies like a wedding planner geared for Georgia brides! Not a total loss.

Next, we went to Bed Bath & Beyond and were blown away by their registry consultant. We ended up staying for almost 4 hours getting the VIP treatment. Our consultant, Michael, explained all the perks and rewards of their registry (like getting to shop before and after the store closes and getting free stuff just for signing up for certain items!) and gave us a tour of the store and recommended items. Their consultants don't work on any kind of commission and they have to take classes to learn about all the different brands of items they sell, so I felt confident that he knew his stuff and was really trying to help me get the things I need. What's more is that he's currently engaged and is going through all the same processes I am! He's working at BB&B until his fiance finishes grad school at UGA. I made sure to get his card so we could have him help every time I come in (since I only finished going through about 1/4 of the store in those 4 hours!). I was so impressed by their assistance that I'm canceling my Macy's registry. Besides, they had all the same items at BB&B for better prices. I was worried about the lack of BB&B around south Georgia, but if people want to buy from there, they can order everything online and have it shipped to their house or to mine.

Mom's coming back up in a couple weeks so I'll finish registering at BB&B and probably hit Target and one other store that weekend. I'm just getting the basics down now so I can add other items later on without feeling rushed to pick out things as our shower dates approach. I'm the type of girl who likes to get things out of the way sooner than later.

I better get to bed. Before Mom leaves tomorrow we're going to drive around Athens and take pictures of landmarks so I can finally fill my frames on my "Athens Wall" in the living room! :)

Next post: Help me pick out my wedding colors!