broken.

today has been one of those days that i'd rather not relive*

*...well, up until this point... we're having dinner tonite with the bennetts--so i'm sure things are on the up and up from here!

let me back up a bit first... saturday, before i went to kristina's wedding, i decided i'd wear my wedding rings... just something about going to a wedding--i felt like i needed to have them on. even though they still don't fit like they used to.

i went to bed without taking them off... not terribly unusual... especially since it was a bit difficult to put them on...

sunday... dad and i went to pf changs... yeah, hellloooo sodium. i didn't even try to get them off after that... it wasn't bothering me, but i just knew there was no point.

....do you get where this is going yet?!

well, after ichiban last night, i knew i'd have the same problem getting them off... eh, not really a big deal.

until i woke up this morning with an achy, stiff, purple finger.

i. tried. everything.

olive oil. soap. vaseline. the fishing line trick... you name it... i googled everything in the book. i even thought about taking a water pill--but wasn't sure how long it would take to kick in. and like i said, my finger was PURPLE.

and i got a bit panicky. there was only one thing left to do..........

i called a friend of mine & owner of jolly's jeweler's and he said they could get it off. i hopped in the car and dad went with me... lee was at home with the baby.

(here's the BEFORE picture)

it wasn't quite as easy as they thought... my finger had swollen around the ring... the guys trying to get it off broke two sets of cutting plier thingys... and the wheel blade that probably would've cut it if i only had ONE ring on wasn't doing much since it was having to cut TWO rings at one time... they ended up using an inverted band saw and had to saw them off of my finger... can you say "friction"?! there were times i thought my finger would melt off before the ring was cut!

thick bands and channel set diamonds... apparently NOT the easiest to cut off.

after a few tears... he assured me everything could be fixed. i could come in after my finger was healed, i could come in to be re-sized...

this next picture really doesn't do it justice... but my finger was super red with dents in it where the rings were...
like a REALLY bad indian burn... its getting better, but its still pretty sore (probably from all the trying i did before i went to jolly's)

what. a. disaster.

yes, i'm fine... but i'm super disappointed at how it all went down... i'm thankful for the fine folks at jolly's for being so kind and helpful :)

the little things...

after my exhilerating car wash wednesday night (which didn't do a very good job)...daddy offered to take my rings and earrings to jolly's to get them cleaned!

my rings haven't been cleaned in 2 years...yes, right before we got married, i had them cleaned for the wedding pictures... :-\ (and mainly so the engagement ring would be just as clean as the wedding band when i wore them TOGETHER for the first time!) :)

but they look STUNNING! i kept staring at them all day... just the way diamonds should be...RADIATING!!

thanks, dad! :)

...the picture doesn't do it justice...i'm just so thankful that i find happiness in the little things!

renewed and restored

today i got to do something i've been wanting to do for about a while now... i got my wedding rings fixed!!

just to refresh your memory... the rings in their original state and broken click here

and when i say fixed, i don't just mean re-sized... ever since lee gave me the engagement ring, the setting has been a little high for my taste (well, i just didn't realize how many things i could snag or how many things i could hit it on when it was sitting up so high)

after i had them cut off, i decided that when i had them fixed, i would also see about having the setting re-done.

the folks at jolly's made the suggestion of having the main stone put in a bezel setting--it could sit really low and it would be really secure in its setting... she also mentioned it would make the ring look really clean and contemporary... and that sounded right up my alley!

i got to go pick them up today and i could NOT be happier!! i'm in love all over again!!

the setting is MUUUUUCH lower and its hard to see from the picture, 

but the main stone is completely encapsulated, 

so no dirt or grime can get under the stone! yippeeee!!

(below: the outer "rim" of the stone is the setting now)

i certainly loved my wedding set before, but i REALLY love it now! 

(not to mention the sizing is better this go 'round, too!!) my rings individually could be worn at the size they were before, but the problem was when worn together, the bands are pretty thick at the bottom--it makes it like wearing a MUCH thicker band--so you go up a size or two... (and THAT probably didn't help the situation when i felt like my finger was gonna fall off! oh well.)