This Ring Belongs In a Museum!

I'm funny about engagement rings. When Thomas and I were discussing getting engaged, and he asked me if I would like to pick out my ring, my answer was an emphatic, "NO!" In my mind (and I know there are gazillions out there who will disagree with me), the engagement ring is a gift. I hate choosing gifts for myself. I can't stand the thought of someone spending too much money on me, so, unless I am given a specific budget to stick to, I will invariably pick the cheapest thing I see, regardless of whether or not I actually like it. When we registered for gifts, we only chose items we could reasonably afford to give as wedding gifts ourselves. To this day, I have no idea how much my ring cost, and I intend to keep it that way.

Anyway, I had a second reason for not wishing to choose my own ring: the ring (again, only my opinion) is a reflection of how the giver sees the wearer. If I'm feeling a little down on myself, I can look at my left hand and be reminded that 1) I have a husband who loves me, and 2) he sees me as a classic, yet modern woman with a quiet strength and tons of sparkle. Someone who knows me very well sees that in me, so why can't I see that in myself?

Of course, I totally understand why some people would want to pick out their ring, and how that could really help out the person buying it. It's a big-ticket item, and one that is going to be worn, theoretically, everyday for the rest of your life. You kinda don't want to screw that one up, so when I went to have my finger measured, I did a little scouting so I could offer helpful hints, if needed. Oh, who am I kidding? I accidentally looked down while the jeweler was sizing me, saw My Ring (TM) and had to get the specs on it immediately. I ran back to Thomas' apartment and told him I'd found My Ring, and where he could go to get it. He took a look at the ring's details, walked over to his computer, pulled up a page he'd saved to favorites, and said, "This it?"

It was.

There, on the screen, was the exact ring I'd fallen in love with, except that this page was one where you could build your own custom ring. He'd built My Ring, already, with no help from me.

Some people just get it right.

Case in point: a fellow whose girl had a deep, unabiding love of the Indiana Jones films, had this amazingly detailed ring made for her. The band is a minature replica of Indy's whip, while the yellow diamond represents the golden idol from Raiders. It's ridiculously thoughtful, and gorgeous to boot, but what I love most about it is the subtlety. At first glance, it's just a yellow diamond set in a wide, carved band. It's not until you view it up close that you get the reference. I don't know who this guy is, but good going! (I hope she said yes!)

In case you're wondering, here are the schematics for it.

Photo Credit (All): Geekologie

Zhen Shi Mei Miao*

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been on a bit of a theatre kick since watching Sunday night's unusually entertaining Tony Awards. My husband, on the other hand...eh, not so much. Don't get me wrong, he appreciates the theatre, and has even seen a couple of shows that I (*gasp!*) haven't. Not that I'm bitter. I mean, The Producers wasn't that great, right? Right? *sigh*

Anyhoo, I spent Sunday in rapt wonderment over the performances, while Thomas fiddled on the computer and played around on his phone. I mainly wanted to see the number from Anything Goes, because I played an Angel in the show a few years ago (Virtue: the easy kind, if you must know), and thought it would be fun to see how our costumes compared (nearly identical, I'm happy to report). Well, Thomas actually watched part of the act, and, when I asked him how he liked it, pointed out that it was cute, but he preferred it in Mandarin.

From that moment on, I have had an earworm of Kate Capshaw lip-synching "Anything Goes" over the Temple of Doom opening titles. Thanks, honey. Thanks heaps. So, for your listening and viewing pleasure, I give you:



Ain't that a hoot? As it turns out, today is actually the thirtieth anniversary of the franchise's first entry, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Why not celebrate by re-watching the classic. No, Indy doesn't sing, but it sure beats the heck out of outrunning boulders and avoiding snakes. Plus, I hear number five is going to happen, so we might as well get ready for it.

*Anything Goes!

What Is Your Quest?

You know the opening scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark? Sure you do. Indy's maneuvered through this horrible cavern of deadly obstacles, and is finally face to face with a golden fertility idol. Well, if I had my way, it would have looked like this:

Photo by Mighty Muggs

How cute is that?! This is the Mighty Muggs Indiana Jones Fertility Idol, made exclusively for the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con. Amazingly, I found this one on Amazon for $15.99. I already have his Indiana Jones counterpart, so I may have to pony up and get this one to go with him. In case you're unfamiliar with Mighty Muggs, they're not plush. They're painfully adorable like plush, but easier to dust. I mean, if you were to take it out of the box. Not that I'd ever do anything like that. *innocent whistling*

Indy's search for the Idol, the Ark, the Grail, and the Skull actually got me thinking about (shocker) beauty supplies. Seriously. You laugh, but think about it. How many times have you found that one awesome [insert product here], only to have it discontinued on you (*sob* Salsabella!)? Or maybe you just haven't been able to find exactly what you need (like a mascara that plumps and lengthens, perhaps)? Well, for any of you in the market for a new foundation, I may have found your Grail.

This morning, continuing my mission to try out all my samples, I grabbed Stila's One Step Makeup Foundation. According to Sephora:

A skin-loving makeup that combines the benefits of a primer, foundation, concealer, and powder in one long-wearing formula. This innovative, medium-coverage formula is energized with Stila's exclusive Ionic Mineral Complex™ that reads and reacts to skin zone-by-zone, visibly priming, balancing, correcting, and optimizing for a supremely flawless finish. Achieve a beautifully smooth look with this buildable, blendable, hydrating essential that minimizes pores, regulates oil, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

I still needed to use a separate concealer, but yeah, it really does all that, and it does it well. The foundation is very thick, which, honestly, scared me a little at first. I usually just wear a foundation faker over a very light primer, then dust it with the teensiest bit of powder. I don't like very heavy makeup, and especially not in this heat and humidity. However, as thick as it is, a little dab'll do you. I think I used maybe a quarter of the packet, and there really wasn't very much in the packet to start with. I skipped my primer, eyeshadow primer, and powder. As I said, I still needed a separate concealer, but only under my eyes. Really, I expected to either have to redo my makeup, or, at the very least, be super shiny by lunch. Boy, was I wrong!

First off, the finish is absolutely gorgeous. Normally, I would need to use my E.L.F. HD powder or MAC Mineralize to get this kind of airbrushed look, but with this, I didn't even need a setting powder. Secondly, nothing has moved. I've been wearing this for 7 1/2 hours, and my eyeshadow still looks like I just put it on. My blush is still blushy. Nothing has moved. Let me repeat that one more time, simply because I am amazed: Nothing. Has. Moved. Lastly, as I said, I've been wearing this for 7 1/2 hours, and I am no shinier than I usually am by this time of day. No primers, no setting powder, and no dabbing at my nose with a tissue to get off the excess oil. My makeup still looks as good as it did when it was applied. Best of all, it doesn't look or feel heavy. Amazing.

The bad news: it's $44 for 1oz. at Sephora. The good news: the combined total for my primer, foundation, and powder of choice is $75. That's not including the various eyeshadow primers I cycle through. Basically, I could save $31, free up a lot of real estate in my makeup case, and spend a few less minutes getting ready in the morning by buying this foundation. I like what I have, and I have quite a bit left, but when my supply starts to dwindle, I've got some serious thinking to do.