Over the weekend, we got a postcard in the mail from our local jeweler, Elizabeth’s in Millerton, N.Y., announcing a moving sale. They’re building a brand new store a few blocks away from the current one and should be moving in three weeks.

I told James we needed to go look at rings NOW. We had already planned to buy from them (part of our “shop local” wedding, plus I interviewed the owner for the paper and really liked her) and we really should take advantage of the sale.

He reluctantly agreed.

The reluctance was, I think, because now he has to make a decision. He always seems nervous about picking out things that he’s going to wear. He wants to look good and doesn’t really trust his judgement, though if you ask me, he has good taste. I mean, just look who he’s marrying (wink).

So we went over at lunch time. I made James try on just about every ring they had. He was pretty tight-lipped about what he liked (though he did offer that he didn’t like the hammered look), so I just picked my favorite. Both James and the clerk agreed.

We chose a white gold band with lines around (I just don’t have the right vocabulary to describe jewelry — I was going to bring a camera, but I forgot it). The lines are highly polished while the rest of the ring is more matte. It’s classy and understated, exactly what James was looking for.

I found a band that I really liked the last time we were in Elizabeth’s and I had Betsy write down the style number for me. It took a couple of minutes to find it again, but once we did, I remembered how much I liked it. It’s white gold with a few small diamonds (much smaller than what’s in my engagement ring). The band has a wheat pattern that compliments the detail work on the engagement ring.

I have standard sized fingers, apparently, because this band fit right off the shelf, too. James’s is a size too big, but since the sale only applies to items in stock, we got it anyway and will have it resized. The clerk said that the manufacturer will do that for free within a certain time span.

Also, we decided to put the rings on layaway. Since we don’t need them for a year, it seemed to make sense to pay for them more slowly and let the money sit in the bank account acruing interest for as long as possible.

We saved a good chunk because of the sale and will hopefully be saving more because of the layaway plan.

And I loved the way the ring looked on James’s hand. I think I’m almost more excited about his ring than about my own.

Wedding planning comes in waves. I can go a week or more and barely think of the wedding at all and then, bam!, the bug hits again.

Sharon and I have been trading a few wedding emails. She’s deciding on a place for hair and make up and getting her block of hotel rooms in order. We’re going to stay definitely one night there, probably two (depending on the plans for the rehersal). We’re in the same state, but it’s still an hour and a half drive, and I’m sure it will be much more peaceful all around if we don’t have to make that drive on her wedding day.

I feel so far behind her (though she is six months ahead of me, so I guess that makes sense). We’re still negotiating our contract. I thought we were done and ready to pay our deposit, but then something else came up and I had to ask for another change. Luckily, it’s still a long way out, but I wonder if Shaffin (who’s planning for us at the Wake Robin) is going to start calling me bridezilla.

Other than that, we have so little decided on. I thought James and I were agreed on the escort cards/favors/table decorations, but after I bought five bud vases, he tells me he never really liked the idea. (I’m not too upset, though, because I only spend $1 on the vases and can definitely find a use for them somewhere). But he’s not into talking about stuff like flowers and favors so early, and I have this inexplicable compulsion to make a decision about something.

I’m planning a trip to Boston in the next couple of weeks to visit friends and check out a dress shop or two. Maybe just two. Don’t want to overdo it (at one point I thought I could hit four in a weekend, but now I’m thinking that’s insane). I got some recommendations for a couple of boutiques in Medford, so I think that’s where I’m headed.

I was looking at tiaras today and though I didn’t fall immediately in love with anything, I think I would like pearls (faux or otherwise) in the tiara. Actually, I really like pearls, so I’m thinking that my jewelry will all be pearl-based.

There. That’s a decision. Sort of.

Man, I’m dying for a bridal magazine about now. When does the fall Martha come out?

The appraisal came by email tonight. And the value of the ring is twice what we paid for it! We are so amazed at the deal we got.

I’ll email the appraisal out to my insurance agent tomorrow. Of course, now we’ll have to pay twice as much in insurance. Oh well.

Today we met with an appraiser to get the engagement ring appraised and added to our insurance. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the dollar amount right then. He took some pictures and made some measurements and will email us a PDF of the appraisal by Monday.

We’re nervous. We bought the ring from a reputable store, but we did buy it in Mexico and there was some negotiation in the price. We’re really hoping that we didn’t get ripped off.

I was encouraged, however, because the appraiser kept saying the center stone was cut very well and that it was beautiful and other good things.

Fingers are crossed.

James and I got engaged in Mexico.

They said on the ship (they have a shopping consultant to help you spend your money) that you can bring back as many loose gemstones as you want without having to pay any duty or tax on them. So James and I thought we would take a look, see if we found any diamonds we liked, then bring them back and eventually get them set for an eventual engagement.

We told the saleswoman what we wanted and how much we wanted to spend, and she started hemming and hawing, saying, “Very difficult.” Then her manager brought over this ring, and it was exactly what we wanted and it fit perfectly (and we could afford it, sorta). James started whispering with the saleswoman and the next thing I knew, he was on one knee, proposing in the middle of the jewelry shop.

I cried, if you couldn’t tell from the picture.