I'm engaged!

Collier asked me to marry him at approximately 1:55 pm today...and of course I said YES!

The Engagement Story

I should probably start out by saying that I kind of knew this was coming. We have been talking about being engaged for over a year now, but the limiting factor was Coll saving up for a ring. Neither of us wanted him to go into debt to pay for a ring, I also didn't want something super expensive or large, but I am allergic to nickel so we had to do platinum or palladium which greatly adds to the cost.

We went ring shopping together at the end of January so he could get an idea on what I like. I don't wear jewelry very frequently so while he wanted to pick something out for me the traditional way, I felt it was really important for he and I to both see what I like first because I just didn't even know myself! He went home the following weekend to get the ring made and picked it up last weekend.

I knew that he had the ring after last weekend. He tried to make up a story about needing to go home for a cook-out at his Mom's (it was about 20 degrees out!), he said I wasn't invited because there would be too much meat there and his Mom didn't want me to be uncomfortable. This is the Mom who ALWAYS makes sure there are multiple vegetarian options at every meal for me and frets over making sure I have enough to eat. Yeah, right!

I got a convo on Etsy earlier this week from someone who said they are in Milwaukee and wanted to buy 2 bars of soap, but was wondering if I would be willing to drop it off at 7 pm on Saturday at Roots (my favorite restaurant in Milwaukee) because they work there and are busy. I immediately knew what was going on. I thought all day about whether or not to tell Collier, and after consulting with my best friend decided that he wants to surprise me and wouldn't want me to see it coming so told him I knew what was going on! He was disappointed that his big surprise fell through. And, after talking with 3 men at work, apparently they agreed that I should have just acted surprised! Oops! But I also was not super keen on being asked in a public place as I think it would be a bit embarrassing to have that much attention on us.

So, Collier had to come up with another plan. He decided to take me somewhere outdoors and ask me today, but it's raining cats and dogs outside so that plan was foiled. What he ended up doing is putting the ring in its open box next to my soaps in the back bedroom. He was sitting down to watch a movie and I was going through my soap inventory and thought, "Hmm, I don't think I took those 4 bars of Spa Clean that I sold out of here." So, I went in the back room to count them. I turned around to walk out and he was in the doorway. I jumped and he laughed having had scared me.

He asked, "What are you doing back here?" I said, "Counting my soap." He didn't budge from the doorway and wouldn't let me through. I said, "Excuse me, I need to go to my computer." He said, "I think you need to count your soap again." At this point I knew something was up and I said, "No, there are 14 bars, I don't need to count it again." He kept trying to convince me and finally I backed up into the room and kept staring at him. He said again, "I think you NEED to count your soap!" So, I finally turned around to humor him and as I walked toward the soap I noticed the ring sitting there. I had TOTALLY missed it when I went to count the first time! So, I grabbed it and turned around with tears already filling my eyes. He came in the room smiling, then got down on one knee and grabbed my right hand, ha ha...I told him "WRONG HAND!" but the box was in my left :) Then he asked if I would marry him. I was crying and said, "Yeah" in a weak voice. Then he put the ring on my finger! It's perfectly sized 6.25, so is a bit tight on the knuckle so was a little challenging. But that baby won't fall off my finger!


The Ring

I ended up deciding on a really simple band with one diamond. Coll had a diamond that he wished to use from his Mom's ring from her marriage to his dad, his wonderful Mother offered that to us. She had melted it into a pendant so he had the stone removed and put into this ring. It was actually his Grandma's stone at one point, and possibly his great grandma's so it has been in his family for quite some time and is a really meaningful and wonderful heirloom!

The band is platinum so I won't break out into a rash! It really is perfect. It is something I will be able to wear with gloves (though not the super tight-fitting surgical gloves, unfortunately, so I may not be able to wear it to work this month for fear of losing it!), and I absolutely love it! Coll loved the place where he had it made - BR Diamond Suite in Madison, WI. He would like to go there to get our wedding bands made as well!

I am also proud to say that Coll saved up more than enough for the ring so was able to pay for it all up front - so wonderful!


The Wedding Date
We are a little TBA on the actual wedding date. I find out on 3/19/09 where we are going to be moving for my residency. It will depend a bit on where we end up. We may have a very small wedding with just immediate family and a few friends where we are living, then have a dinner/reception in Wisconsin that will be bigger and invite extended family and more friends to that. We will have to see! The one thing I know is I'd love to use as many vintage and handmade items as possible in the wedding, so I will have to start my shopping on Etsy! Yay!