New Bling!

What better way to improve a girl's mood than with new jewelry? LOL I'm kidding. DH and I decided not to do birthday gifts or anniversary gifts this year in favor of a new computer. Given our new financial situation, buying a $3500 computer just does not seem the best use of such funds at the present time.

I have also been hunting a replacement wedding band for about six months now. I had to take off my original band and engagement ring when I was about six months pregnant, and I have not been able to wear it since. As a favor, my father loaned me his. He and Mom got new bands for their 25th wedding anniversary (which was, wow, 9 years ago!), so I've actually been wearing his original band. Yes, my father! What can I say, I have large hands for a woman. Even my original wedding band is an 8 (DH wears a 6!). And I really liked wearing his band, I did. But after over three years, I wanted something that was mine, plus I started getting paranoid that something would happen to it or I would lose it or something, which would just break my heart. It *is* his original, after all; the one he had to have cut off after about 5 years of marriage due to a hand injury (bought a replacement later), and Mom had it repaired for either their 15th or 20th anniversary (can't remember now). But buying a new one like *my* original would cost $400+, which is not something I wanted to do for a (hopefully?) temporary replacement (says the person who has worn a "temporary" replacement for over three years already, with no signs of losing any of the baby weight). Just something about our upcoming 10th anniversary (in 2008) made me want to have one that is mine, but without spending a lot of money.

So I've been hunting for a while, knowing I would eventually hit on the right thing for the right price that didn't look cheap or flimsy. Tuesday night, I finally found one that I liked for a very good price, and free overnight shipping to boot! DH knew I was looking, so when I showed him what I found and asked that it serve as my birthday/anniversary gift, he said yes. It arrived today! Here it is (one photo shows the shine, one shows more accurate color so you can see that it is two-toned):



Here's the cool part: it is stainless steel (and 10K gold). It is very smooth, very lightweight (but substantial, it's comfort-fit band), and very shiny. I really like it! It can't replace my original gold millgrain band in my heart, but it will do for now. I am even contemplating having my engagement diamond reset in a larger ring. I don't want to try and enlarge it from an 8 to a 10; the band is too thin. I just need to find out what that would cost (to see if it would be worth it), and where I might can have that done. I miss my diamond!

Currently feeling: shiny!