What Made you Smile/What Ticked you off Today?

[fastbilly1]

Im even easier than s1mplehumar, just shoot me the recipe.

[Luke]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

I'm a very, very, very lucky guy to have her in my life. Everyone here, and I mean everyone would love her. Not just for her looks, but if you saw us together for even a half hour you would love her for keeping me in check.

I'm obviously a strongly opinionated guy, but if I show a tad of cockiness she has a zinger waiting to bring me down to Earth, and my lifelong friends think she's a perfect fit for me. She's also my voice of reason and best friend. Everyday with her is like winning the Lottery...but don't tell her that. My honey-do list is already insane enough as it is.

[AppleQueso]

So you joined the forum right after you guys got married?

I've been with the same girl for going on 7 years now. We should probably do something to "formalize" our relationship sometime...

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Gotta love the Toyota/Honda tax huh?

Sigh, yup.

Smile: I will be celebrating my 4 year anniversary with my wife on Thursday.

Congrats man! I'm taking the plunge hopefully later this year myself if all goes well.

[Luke]

So you joined the forum right after you guys got married?

I've been with the same girl for going on 7 years now. We should probably do something to "formalize" our relationship sometime...

I guess so. We dated for almost a decade. I wanted to get married earlier, but "I want to get my MBA first". Then she wanted to get her Masters in English, then we both wanted steady jobs, and then we wanted to put a lot of money in savings...it was always something. I say just go for it when you know it feels right. Same with buying a house or having kids...There really isn't a perfect time.

And for those who plan on taking the plunge, most of your work is done after buying the right ring. It's as simple as letting her have her way as far as the wedding/reception/catering/etc goes. Also, you may want to plan on taking a loan out for the ring. I won't say what I paid, but I will say that $10K doesn't go far. Go for quality over size as I kid you not, if you get a "perfect diamond" that thing will keep climbing in value.

I kinda lucked out since my wife is so tiny that a 1 carat diamond looks pretty big on her. Then again, my wife would have been happy with a mood ring (well, for a while at least).

Marriage is awesome guys. As my Father said, "It doesn't change anything, it changes everything".

[fastbilly1]

And for those who plan on taking the plunge, most of your work is done after buying the right ring. It's as simple as letting her have her way as far as the wedding/reception/catering/etc goes. Also, you may want to plan on taking a loan out for the ring. I won't say what I paid, but I will say that $10K doesn't go far. Go for quality over size as I kid you not, if you get a "perfect diamond" that thing will keep climbing in value.

I spent much less than that, but do not expect to get out of it for under 2k. My wife wanted a marquise cut stone, which is out of fashion, and thus much more expensive (her stone alone was 2k and only alittle over 1.5 carats (it has a slight imperfection that is under one of the brackets, had that not been there it would have been a 3k diamond). However she smiles every time she looks at it so it was worth every penny. If you can get by with a princess or a square cut, those are the two really in fashion cuts right now so there will be more variety and they will be cheaper.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

And for those who plan on taking the plunge, most of your work is done after buying the right ring. It's as simple as letting her have her way as far as the wedding/reception/catering/etc goes. Also, you may want to plan on taking a loan out for the ring. I won't say what I paid, but I will say that $10K doesn't go far. Go for quality over size as I kid you not, if you get a "perfect diamond" that thing will keep climbing in value.

I kinda lucked out since my wife is so tiny that a 1 carat diamond looks pretty big on her. Then again, my wife would have been happy with a mood ring (well, for a while at least).

I feel a bit low rent in my world considering I paid a pauper's sum for her engagement ring a few years ago. I guess I'm lucky my wife loves beautifully simple jewelery without a lot of flash, so I got her a white gold band with an admittedly small 3 diamond past, present, future style arrangement. Heck, I proposed to my wife in traffic downtown a few minutes after I walked out of the shop. (I'm never selling that '88 Honda, , nor have I ever been more scared of wrecking after she kissed me in the intersection) I've been engaged for two years now, so what I meant was more that I'm finally taking the plunge into the whole ceremony, new living arrangements, etc...

She would kill me if I left all the wedding/reception/honeymoon planning to her, though. We both want something completely nuts and different, (Gourmet Chinese, sushi, BBQ and fun foods at the reception, etc...) not to mention lots of fun for everyone, so it would definitely be an unorthodox ceremony.

There's also the nice feeling that as far as we're concerned we've been married for years now. Ever since I gave her that ring, and for a good while before that I knew I wasn't going to let that woman get away from me. The paperwork and ceremony which accompanies it is more for everyone else's confirmation/enjoyment more-so than our own. Which isn't to say we wont get a real kick out of it, ti's just that we've long since committed out lives to each other.

We've been in a relationship since I was 15, so I guess we could be viewed as sappy, young and too romantic for our own good, but I'm glad that she's the absolute best friend I could ever have in my life. Because wife or not, what's most important to me about her is the fact that she always makes me smile.

[Erik_Twice]

I love Paella, and excuse my language, but it's very fucking expensive and time consuming to cook. Plus, it doesn't keep well. Lobster, shrimp, saffron, clams...not cheap.

The actual Valencia paella doesn't have seafood in it so why not take that route?

[Luke]

I spent much less than that, but do not expect to get out of it for under 2k. My wife wanted a marquise cut stone, which is out of fashion, and thus much more expensive (her stone alone was 2k and only alittle over 1.5 carats (it has a slight imperfection that is under one of the brackets, had that not been there it would have been a 3k diamond). However she smiles every time she looks at it so it was worth every penny. If you can get by with a princess or a square cut, those are the two really in fashion cuts right now so there will be more variety and they will be cheaper.

As I mentioned, my wife wouldn't have cared, but I hunted for a diamond that was D and FL as rated by the GIA. Our style is fairly traditional, so I went with a Solitaire, old European cut. And to each their own, but I can't stand gaudy square cut diamonds, especially when on a band full of cheap tiny diamonds. Ugly, excessive, and something that looks a lot more like costume jewelry or like something Joe Pesci would wear.

Another reason I love my wife: When in big cities she always wears her ring diamond side facing her palm; something my Mother taught her. Odds are she wouldn't get mugged in the first place, but it's a smart way to deter a mugging.

[Luke]

I love Paella, and excuse my language, but it's very fucking expensive and time consuming to cook. Plus, it doesn't keep well. Lobster, shrimp, saffron, clams...not cheap.

The actual Valencia paella doesn't have seafood in it so why not take that route?

Because my wife wants Paella with seafood, and she'll get what she wants. But please do share a recipe. I'd love to try it.