Ring Around the Shoe String

Brant and I share similar tastes. We both like simple clean lines when it comes to design. We both prefer casual dress that hovers around "scrubby." We both like owls.

I've always been a jewelry minimalist. I own a bunch of necklaces and bracelets but rarely wear them. I own rings but probably wear one every month or so. I wear earrings and a watch every day. That's about it. (Hey! I've become very bold in my earring choices I'll have you know!)

So when you combine simple taste + jewelry minimalist + desire to avoid spending on "stuff," you get a simple, elegant, VERY inexpensive engagement ring!

I knew I didn't want Brant spending more than $400 on a ring. That's a random number, but anything more made me feel all squirmy and uncomfortable inside. So that was the request I made to him. He was more than happy to comply.

Brant went to one local jeweler and gave the owner my budget and was met with an incredulous response as well as a mention of the word "cheap." When Brant told me that I became incredulous! What a bunch of crap! What terrible customer service!

A few days later I was leaving my favorite eatery (Il Vicino) with my favorite lunch buddy (Ginger) when I decided to stop into McMullen Jewelry in Lincoln Heights Village in Wichita. I'd heard their name as sponsors of NPR and wanted to check them out. I was met by Mrs. McMullen and when I told her the budget I wanted my boyfriend to stay within, she went on and on about how smart we were and how refreshing it was to hear a "young person" talking this way.

That sold me on the place. :)

Long story short: I picked out a ring (after a fair amount of debate and a second trip to the store), gave Brant the specs, and left it in his hands. McMullen will knock off up to a third of the price of the item in exchange for gold, and gold is worth a LOT right now. So Brant was able (unbeknownst to me) to take some gold items we collected and buy the ring for way under my specified budget.

He had been planning a few proposal scenarios that would take place in December (this is according to Brant; I'm just reporting what I know) but on Saturday, November 28, 2009, he could not wait any longer. After we'd spent some time cleaning his house in anticipation of having our families over the next day, we were standing there admiring our handywork, kissing, and then suddenly he was on one knee.

(I believe my initial thought was, "What the heck is he doing?!")

He presented a small box and opened it to reveal the ring, said something like "I can't wait any longer. Will you marry me?" To which I squealed and thanked him profusely for wanting to marry me and yelled "YES!"

And that's the story of the ring, which we both love, feel is very "us," and are so pleased with how little was spent on it. Wanna see pictures??? :)